A FORMER Blackburn Rovers youth player turned drug dealer who forced a kidnap victim to perform Whitney Houston songs naked for his entertainment has been jailed for what has been described as an "abhorrent" attack.

Andre Clarke, 30, who had a spell on loan at Accrington Stanley, and accomplice Sakhawat Hussain, 35 even resorted to scalding the man's private parts by pouring boiling water on him.

A judge told how the men left "lasting scars" on 32-year-old victim Michael Dewar after using axes, a baseball bat, a hammer and a knife to torture him.

Having managed to escape the defendants, Mr Dewar had to be treated for a catalogue of injuries, including broken bones, significant bruising, and reddening on his legs, buttocks and genitals.

At one stage during the series of offences, the victim's heavily pregnant girlfriend had a knife held to her stomach and was told by father-of-one Clarke that he would "cut it out" if she did not comply with the demands that he and Hussain were making.

The men were both convicted by a jury of affray, kidnapping, causing grievous bodily harm with intent and two counts of false imprisonment following the incident in January.

Jailing them at Leeds Crown Court for 15 years each on Tuesday, Judge Robin Mairs said: "The two of you were content to use violence as a form of control. Threats and coercion were used to engender obedience."

Speaking about the impact that the incident had on Mr Dewar, he added: "You had no compunction to inflicting fear and terror upon the victim and his wider family.

"Physically and mentally, there is no question that this sustained and vicious attack left scars on him and will leave lasting scars upon him."

Hussain, of Hawthorne Avenue, Batley, West Yorkshire, and Clarke, of Wood Lane, Newsome, Huddersfield, carried out the kidnapping after getting involved in a dispute about drugs.

Prosecutors told how the men visited Mr Dewar at his home in Healey, Batley, on January 23 after an argument over 2.2lb (1kg) of cocaine, and it was then that the threat to cut out his pregnant girlfriend's baby was made.

The court heard how the woman gave birth just eight days after the threat was made by Clarke, who was described by his barrister as having a "short-lived" career in football.

The defendants returned to the property three days later, on January 26, with father-of-five Hussain blaming Mr Dewar for the alleged theft of £300,000 worth of drugs.

They then held members of the victim's family captive in the property, with Mr Dewar himself being taken to the cellar and beaten.

Hussain and Clarke then bundled him into a car and transported him to Batley Carr in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, where he was forced to perform naked renditions of Whitney Houston songs for their amusement.

The judge described the attack as both "degrading" and "humiliating".

Mr Dewar was not able to escape until around 4am the next morning and was taken to hospital for treatment.

Clarke finished joint top scorer for Blackburn's academy in the 2005/06 season, his first full season with the club.

Clarke was loaned to Accrington Stanley in July 2008, until the end of December 2008.

On December 28 2008 he scored a hat-trick at home to Grimsby, bringing his goal tally to five in a total of 16 league and cup appearances for Accrington.