British police from Evon and Somerset stated on Friday that three men broke into a man's home in Bristol, England, assaulted him, and attempted to rob him of cryptocurrency, but were not successful. They have now been sentenced to imprisonment.

Police stated that Terroll Paul (31 years old), Mohamed Samagassi (37 years old), and Pierre Madzou (30 years old) broke into the victim's home in the early hours of May 15th, attacked the victim, and demanded that he hand over a large amount of digital currency. The victim suffered severe head injuries and required hospitalization for treatment.

The victim's teenage sister then called the police, and all three men were arrested at the scene.

Three individuals admitted to committing serious burglary in August and were sentenced on Thursday at Bristol Crown Court. Paul from Barking, London, was sentenced to 6 years in prison; Madzou, also from Barking, was sentenced to 5 years and 6 months; Samagassi who has no fixed residence was sentenced to 5 years in prison.

Officer Gemma Childs in charge of the investigation stated that the victim's sister showed "great courage," and claimed that her actions directly led to the arrest of the suspect and prevented her brother from suffering further harm.

According to a statement from the victim read out in court, this burglary incident changed him. "I used to be cheerful, talkative, and extroverted, but now I describe myself as nervous and wary," he said.

The police did not specify the exact amount of cryptocurrency that the three men demanded.

Cryptocurrency "Wrench Attack"

Reports indicate that this case is the latest in a recent series of "wrench attacks" targeting cryptocurrencies. In such cases, criminals use violence or threats to force holders to hand over their digital assets.

Blockchain security company CertiK stated that in the first half of 2026, such "wrench attacks" caused victims worldwide to suffer losses of $124 million, a 12-fold increase from the previous year.