Three men have been jailed for between five and six years after forcing their way into a man's home in Bristol, England, and assaulting him during a failed attempt to steal a large amount of cryptocurrency — the latest in a string of violent UK "wrench attacks" targeting digital asset holders.

Terroll Paul, , Mohamed Samagassi, 37, and Pierre Madzou, 30, broke into the victim's home in the early hours of May 15 and demanded that he hand over a large amount of digital currency, Avon and Somerset Police said on Friday. The man was struck over the head and suffered a substantial injury that required hospital treatment.

The victim's teenage sister alerted police during the break-in, and officers arrested all three men at the scene, according to the force.

The force announced the sentences in a post on X on Friday, October 16:

Three men who broke into a man's home in Bristol and threatened him in a failed attempt to steal cryptocurrency have been jailed. Terroll Paul, 31, Mohamed Samagassi, 37, and Pierre Madzou, 30, were sentenced yesterday (15 October).

— Avon and Somerset Police (@ASPolice) October 16, 2026

The trio pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary in August and were sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on Thursday, October 15. Paul, of Barking in London, received six years in prison. Madzou, also of Barking, was handed five and a half years, while Samagassi, of no fixed address, was given five years. Aggravated burglary carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment in England and Wales.

Police did not say how much cryptocurrency the men demanded.

Sister's 'extreme bravery' praised

PC Gemma Child, the investigating officer, said the victim's sister showed "extreme bravery," adding that her actions led directly to "the apprehension of the offenders and preventing her brother from further harm."

In a statement read in court, the victim said the break-in had changed him. "Before, I was bubbly, talkative and outgoing but now I would describe myself as tense and apprehensive," he said.

Crypto 'wrench attacks'

The case is the latest in a run of so-called "wrench attacks" in the UK, in which criminals target cryptocurrency holders in person rather than attacking wallets or exchanges through hacking. The term describes robberies in which perpetrators use violence, weapons, or threats of harm to coerce victims into handing over their digital assets. The in-person tactic underscores a structural reality of digital assets: a cryptocurrency transfer, once made, cannot be reversed, leaving few options for recovering funds surrendered under duress.

In February, three teenagers were jailed over a $4.3 million wrench attack robbery caught on police video in London, while last month a $10,000 reward was offered after a West Midlands couple was attacked in a crypto home invasion.

Wrench attacks cost victims $124 million globally in the first six months of 2026, a twelvefold increase year-on-year, according to blockchain security firm CertiK.