Man guilty of kidnap after 21-year-old ‘dragged’ from Telford address and shoved in a car boot
The victim was beaten and left tied to a chair in a storage unit
A man has been found guilty of his involvement in the kidnapping of a 21-year-old man in Telford who was dragged from his home and shoved in a car boot before being “violently assaulted” in a storage unit and left tied to a chair.
Haider Ali, aged 22, of Montgomery Road in Wellington, was found guilty of kidnap at Shrewsbury Crown Court on Tuesday (June 16).
During a two-week trial, the court heard how on Monday, December 29 last year at around 2.18pm, four masked men dragged the victim from an address in Arleston before putting him in the boot of a black Audi A4.
The court was shown CCTV of the vehicle leaving the scene at speed, travelling through Wellington with the boot open and the victim’s feet hanging out of the car.
Eventually the car stopped and two of the suspects closed the boot before continuing their journey to a storage unit in Eyton. The victim was then taken inside, where he was violently assaulted by his kidnappers.
Ali arrived twenty minutes later at the storage unit in a Volkswagen Passat before leaving after ten minutes followed by the Audi carrying two of the kidnappers. The two vehicles then drove to Lilleshall Golf Club to dump the Audi, with the two occupants getting into the Volkswagen.
Two of the kidnappers were then dropped off at a different address in Arleston with Ali returning to the unit in the Volkswagen to collect the other two men before leaving around 3.44pm. The jury was told how the victim was left locked inside the unit and tied to a chair.
The abandoned Audi was later reported to police with CCTV identifying the Volkswagen as being involved, and leading to Ali being identified. Officers were able to locate and arrest Ali on suspicion of kidnap at 4.53pm.
The jury also heard how CCTV from earlier in the day showed Ali take multiple phone calls from the four men, including a call two minutes after the kidnap took place while in Telford Centre.
While Ali was in police custody a video of the victim being tortured by the kidnappers was sent to his phone at 7.11pm. Using this, officers were able to identify the four kidnappers as Jawad Hussain, Ehteshan Hussain, Faheem Chohan and Shayyan Hussain.
The court then heard how following Ali’s arrest, the four men went back to the unit and put the victim into a car and drove towards north Shropshire.
Then at 9.58pm police received a call from a takeaway in Whitchurch stating a man had managed to escape kidnap and was seriously injured. Officers attended and identified the man as the victim.
The victim told officers that while two of the suspects were out of the car, he was able to lock the doors and, and noticing the keys in the ignition, drive to safety. He was then taken to hospital for treatment to his injuries.
The victim was also able to confirm the identities of the other four men involved, and officers were arrested Jawad Hussain, Ehteshan Hussain and Faheem Chohan, while Shayyan Hussain handed himself into police later the same day.
All five men were charged with kidnap.
Jawad Hussain, aged 20, of Windsor Road in Arleson, Telford; Ehteshan Hussain, aged 22, of Princess Avenue in Arleson, Telford; Faheem Chohan, aged 23, of Windsor Road in Arleson, Telford; and Shayyan Hussain, aged 24, of John Broad Avenue in Arleson, Telford pleaded guilty to the offence in January,
Ali was found guilty by a jury this week following a trial at Shrewsbury Crown Court.
All five men are due to be sentenced at a later date at Shrewsbury Crown Court.
A sixth man also stood trial for kidnap but was found not guilty of any involvement.
Detective Chief Inspector Lee Holehouse, from West Miercia Police’s Major Investigations Unit, said: “This was a shocking and deeply disturbing attack in which a young man was kidnapped in broad daylight, subjected to a sustained and brutal assault, and held against his will.
“The actions of all five men involved show a complete disregard for human life and the law, and the level of violence and intimidation used is utterly unacceptable.
“I welcome yesterday's verdict against Haider Ali, which means five men involved in this appalling crime have now been held to account for their actions.
“I would like to commend the bravery of the victim in escaping such terrifying circumstances, and the determination of officers whose swift and thorough investigation within those first 24 hours, and afterwards, brought those responsible to justice.
“Our communities should be reassured that this kind of criminality will not be tolerated, and we will continue to pursue those who pose a danger to others.”