Published by Robert L Senior Reporter on Saturday, 23rd November 2024, at 09:30hrs
The gang kidnapped a man off the streets after approaching him claiming to be police officers
A gang who claimed to be Police officers to kidnap a man from a street in Greater Manchester before torturing him and demanding a ransom have been jailed.
On Thursday 11 April 2019, the victim – a man in his 30s – was approached by three men, who were misleadingly dressed as police officers and falsely arrested him, placing him into the back of a black Audi vehicle which had false number plates.
The kidnappers drove the victim to a back street in Gorton where they dragged him out from the car, put a hood over his head, a gun to his head and put him in a van which drove to a building in the area.
Walfall, Ukaegbu, Barnes, Lowe and Etuhu forcibly held the victim at the building for around 13 hours. The group threatened the victim using an imitation firearm as well as brutally torturing him, using weapons such as a blowtorch and taser, in order to scare him into co-operating with their demands.
The group contacted various members of the victim’s family and demanded a ransom which they eventually demanded be delivered to an address in Birmingham.
Those that had left the lockup were rounded up in the following weeks and months – other than Walfall who had fled the country and was eventually tracked down in Spain.
The investigation identified that in the preceding weeks a tracker had been deployed on the underside of the victim’s vehicle by Chin. He had been lured to the Parrswood Centre by Freeman to eat at Nando’s.
Chin collected Walfall and Barnes from Birmingham as they travelled south after the kidnap had taken place.
Chin’s DNA was found on a balaclava recovered from a kit bag in the rear of the black Audi which was still in the lock up when police raided it. A set of handcuffs and another tracker were also located within his home when it was searched.”
Shaun Freeman (01/11/1994) of Rosshill Walk, Manchester, was jailed for nine years.
Delroy Chin (15/03/1977) of Woodstock, Billing Road, Northampton, was jailed for 11 years.
Micah Walfall (02/03/1984) of Pen Court, Northampton was sentenced to 11 years and three months at Manchester Crown Court today (Friday 22 November 2024) and were the final three men involved in the plot to be sentenced.
Walfall pleaded guilty to conspiracy to kidnap at an earlier court appearance having fled the country following the kidnap and was eventually tracked down in Spain. Freeman and Chin were found guilty following a trial at Manchester Crown Court in April this year.
At a previous hearing on 10 January 2020 –
Nicky Barnes (01/05/1992) of Greenwood Road, Northampton was jailed for 12 years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to kidnap and conspiracy to blackmail.
Daniel Lowe (02/02/1992) of Byfield Road, Northampton was jailed for 10 years 6 months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to kidnap and conspiracy to blackmail.
Michael Etuhu (13/02/1984) of Leftbank, Manchester was jailed for 10 years 2 months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to kidnap and conspiracy to blackmail.
Ben Ukaegbu (18/05/1981) of Windy Ridge, Northampton was jailed for 11 years 3 months years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to kidnap and conspiracy to blackmail.
A 35-year-old man was also sentenced after pleading guilty to conspiracy to kidnap and conspiracy to blackmail. He has since been released from prison
In a statement released after sentencing, Greater Manchester Police Detective Sergeant Mark Evans, of the Major Incident Team, said:
“This was a lengthy investigation and I am pleased that today we have concluded proceedings by locking up the final three members involved in this plot.
“Freeman was a friend of the victim, regularly playing football with him. As well as luring the victim to the Parrswood Centre, he also recorded the vehicle registration of the victim in his mobile phone, along with the names of the victim’s family members.
“He sourced the lockup used to hold the victim and met with the kidnap team in the days before the actual kidnap, travelling in convoy with their vehicles from the lockup where the victim would eventually be held on a visit to a pub in Alderley Edge, which was set up as the original drop location for the ransom money.
“We hope this provides some closure for the victim and their family and they can finally move forward with their lives. I would like to thank them for their patience and assistance with this investigation.”
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