A 56-YEAR-OLD man who held five members of the same family at knifepoint in their own home has been given a two-year supervision order.

Waled Salem was one of at least three men who falsely imprisoned the Hussain family in their home in Desborough Park Road, High Wycombe, on September 3 last year.

But a revenge attack on Salem, of Eldon Court, Borehamwood, led to him being unfit to stand a full trial or enter a plea over the charge.

He was however found to have committed an act alleged against him by a jury at Reading Crown Court.

Judge John Reddihough said his options were limited to giving Salem a hospital order, supervision order or a discharge.

Of those, he said a hospital order and discharge were “inappropriate”.

But Judge Reddihough told Salem: “Had you been tried and convicted of that offence, the court would regard it as a very serious offence indeed and a very substantial prison sentence would have been imposed.”

Salem will be supervised by the Mid Herts Probation Service for the next two years.

Alan Newman, defending, said: “He's been very severely punished by the brain damage occasioned to him – more severely than any sentence Your Honour could pass.”