A GANG of three men stopped off at a McDonald's for a meal after kidnapping a music student from Gowerton, Swansea Crown Court heard today.
Two meals were ordered at the Fabian Way restaurant while James John Davies was being held in a van outside. He had earlier been robbed at his home in an incident in which he was punched, with a kitchen knife also being produced.
Two of the defendants were jailed for eight years with a further extended licence period of two years.
Georgie Rees, aged 25, of Llanllienwen Close, Ynysforgan, and David Miller, aged 26, of Lloyd Road, Treboeth, admitted robbing Mr Davies of items including a computer, a mobile phone, keys and a bank card in June and kidnapping him. Miller, was also ordered to serve another nine weeks in jail after admitting a breach of a suspended sentence.
Gavin Stone, aged 39, of Danesbury Road, Feltham, London, was jailed for four years and eight months after admitting robbery and kidnapping.
Prosecutor Brian Simpson said Miller and Rees, who knew the victim, knocked on the door of his home in Station Road between 11.30pm and midnight on June 24. They went in and all three watched television for 20 minutes before Rees went to the toilet and on his return punched Mr Davies in the face.
"Rees punched him several more times," said Mr Simpson. "Miller got a bread knife from the kitchen and came back into the sitting room."
They then accused him of stealing money from them. He felt a knife touch his neck.
Rees and Miller then took items including a computer, a mobile phone and house keys from the house .
"He was taken outside and placed in the back of a white transit van," said Mr Simpson. "Stone was waiting in the driver's seat."
Mr Davies was threatened with having his fingers cut off. After 10 minutes into its journey, they switched drivers and Stone got in the back and elbowed and punched him.
At 12.30am they stopped at McDonald's in Fabian Way and ordered two meals. The journey then continued on to Park View in Francis Street, where they took him out of the van.
"Mr Davies tried to run off," said Mr Simpson. "Miller grabbed him and punched him to the ground."
A struggle ensued and the victim ran away to Oystermouth Road where he flagged down a police van. His injuries included bruising, swelling and cuts to the face.
At 7.15am a van containing Rees and Stone overturned on the M4 between the Bristol and Bath junctions. The three were later arrested for the offences.
In his victim impact statement, Mr Davies said the injury to his right eyebrow had scarred him for life and the incident had affected him psychologically.
"I have lost my trust in people and friends," said Mr Davies, who also has also suffered from disturbed sleeping patterns since. And he said that music technology programmes on his computer as part of his degree work had been lost and might affect his plans for a music career.
In mitigation for Rees, Steve Burnell said no weapons were taken into or removed from the premises in an incident which escalated and for which the defendant had shown remorse.
For Miller, Andrew Evans said the defendant had an issue with controlled substances which he needed to address and had shown remorse for the offences.
Stephen Thomas, for Stone, said his client had had no knowledge about what happened in the house before or during the incident.
Judge Michael Burr said: "These offence are so serious that only a custodial sentence can be justified."
He said the notion of going to the house of friend who had entertained Rees and Miller before and exacting some kind of revenge for something they imagined had taken place was serious.
"You lulled Mr Davies into a false sense of security by general discussion for 20 minutes or so watching TV and then you let matters get quickly out of hand, " he said.
Read more: http://www.southwales-eveningpost.co.uk/gang-jailed-for-kidnapping-man-went-for-fast-food-meal-while-victim-held-in-van/story-29636707-detail/story.html#ixzz4I58YyBt1
Follow us: @SWEveningPost on Twitter | SWEveningPost on Facebook
Read more at http://www.southwales-eveningpost.co.uk/gang-jailed-for-kidnapping-man-went-for-fast-food-meal-while-victim-held-in-van/story-29636707-detail/story.html#EJLK76KA6tbSCoSV.99
No comments:
Post a Comment