September 2015: Bobby Balu is now 39, and lives in Offer Road, Leamington

June 2008

Radford man on trial for rape and sexual assault

A MAN has gone on trial at Coventry Crown Court facing rape and sexual assault allegations.

Bobby Balu, aged 32, of Telfer Road, Radford, Coventry, denies one count of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one offence of kidnapping.

The offences related to incidents involving three women aged 18, 32 and 40 – two from Coventry and one from Birmingham.

It included the rape of a 32-year-old, of Coventry, which it is alleged, took place on November 4, 2007

Giving evidence video link, the woman said she was attacked in her home by an unknown assailant. She described how she fought desperately with her attacker

February 1999

Kidnap Terror Gang of Four Behind Bars

Two Coventry brothers who kidnapped and terrorised two men are today behind bars.

Bobby Balu, aged 23, and Jatinder Balu, aged 18, formerly of Rees Drive, Finham, were members of a four-strong gang convicted at Warwick Crown Court yesterday of a string of offences.

The brothers were convicted of two charges of kidnapping, conspiracy to rob, driving while disqualified and three counts of making off without paying for petrol.

Balu senior was also convicted of assault and jailed for six years.

His younger brother was cleared of an assault charge and sentenced to 5 1/2 years in a young offenders’ institution.

During the three-week trial, the court heard that the gang kidnapped a 21-year-old from the Cheylesmore area, in April last year.

At one point they threatened him and dangled him out of a car as it sped along the M1 to London.

Mr Johal was held captive in London for two days. The gang trailed him around Soho, looking for prostitutes and telling gay men he was “for sale.”

Prosecutor Kevin Hegarty told the jury that the gang also kidnapped a Birmingham takeaway pizza worker in May

Bobby Balu ordered him to drive the gang from Handsworth to Leamington.

Mr Hagarty said: “When they reached Leamington, the man was handed 10p and a canister of CS gas and ordered to ring a local taxi firm and use the spray to rob the driver while the other four men hid.”

The two other gang members were Stephen Masih, aged 22, of Larch Avenue, Oxwall Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, and Rajinder Thaper, aged 24, of Chinbrook Road, Yardley, Birmingham.

Masih was found guilty of two charges of kidnap, assault, conspiracy to rob, driving while disqualified and making off without paying for petrol. He was sentenced to six years in jail.

Thaper was found not guilty of making threats to kill, but convicted of two charges of kidnap, assault, conspiracy to rob, driving while disqualified and making off without paying for petrol. He was jailed for 5 1/2 years.

The court heard Bobby Balu had previous convictions including one of attempted armed robbery and Jatinder four previous convictions for robbery.