Three men who broke into a man’s home in Bristol and threatened him in a failed attempt to steal cryptocurrency have been jailed.
Terroll Paul, 31, Mohamed Samagassi, 37, and Pierre Madzou, 30, were sentenced yesterday (15 October).https://t.co/gQf1FuZiY6
— Avon and Somerset Police (@ASPolice) October 16, 2026
The victim’s teenage sister alerted police, and all three men were arrested at the scene.
They pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary in August, and were sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on Thursday. Paul, of Barking in London, received six years in prison, Madzou, also of Barking, five and a half years, and Samagassi, of no fixed address, five years.
The victim’s sister showed “extreme bravery,” said PC Gemma Childs, the investigating officer, adding that her actions led directly to “the apprehension of the offenders and preventing her brother from further harm.”
In a statement read in court, the victim said the break-in had changed him. “Before, I was bubbly, talkative and outgoing but now I would describe myself as tense and apprehensive,” he said.
The police did not say how much cryptocurrency the men demanded.
Crypto “wrench attacks”
The case is the latest in a run of so-called “wrench attacks” in the UK, in which criminals target crypto holders in person. In February, three teenagers were jailed over a $4.3 million wrench attack robbery caught on police video in London, while last month a $10,000 reward was offered after a West Midlands couple was attacked in a crypto home invasion.
Wrench attacks cost victims $124 million globally in the first six months of 2026, a twelvefold increase year-on-year, according to blockchain security firm CertiK.
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