Three men in the UK broke into a residence to attack the victim in an attempt to steal cryptocurrency, with a maximum sentence of 6 years

Three men from Bristol, England, broke into a man's home in the early hours of May 15, assaulted the victim, and demanded a large amount of cryptocurrency. The victim sustained head injuries and was hospitalized, while the three men failed to obtain any cryptocurrency. Terroll Paul, Mohamed Samagassi, and Pierre Madzou all pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary and were sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on October 15. Paul was sentenced to 6 years, Madzou to 5 and a half years, and Samagassi to 5 years.

The victim's underage sister called the police, and the three were subsequently arrested at the scene. The police did not disclose the amount of cryptocurrency demanded by the three men. The case falls under "ransom attacks," where criminals use violence or threats to force cryptocurrency holders to hand over digital assets. Data from blockchain security company CertiK shows that in the first six months of 2026, such attacks globally resulted in losses of $124 million, a 12-fold increase year-on-year.