🔴 TORTURE GANG JAILED AFTER £3M KIDNAP HORROR

Two men have been jailed for a prolonged kidnap and torture carried out in Birmingham, in which a victim was abducted at knifepoint, held for several days, and subjected to serious violence during a ransom demand.

Miles Blakeney and Luke Hazell, both aged 37, were sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on 27 March after being convicted of conspiracy to kidnap, false imprisonment, blackmail, and wounding with intent. Hazell was jailed for 16 years, while Blakeney received a sentence of 10 years.

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The court heard the offences arose from an incident on 21 January 2023, when a Land Rover pulled up on Anglesey Street in Lozells shortly before 8pm. A group of men wearing balaclavas exited the vehicle and pursued the victim, a man in his 20s, before forcing him into the car. His coat was removed and his head covered during the abduction.

Evidence presented at trial established that the victim was transported to a flat in Edgbaston, approximately two miles away, where he was held against his will. Shortly after the incident, a relative contacted police to report the suspected kidnap, and the victim later made a phone call from a withheld number in which he stated: “They have kidnapped me, they have kidnapped me. They want money. They want three mill.”

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During his captivity, the victim was restrained and subjected to sustained violence. The court heard that in the early hours of the following day he attempted to escape after a man guarding him fell asleep, striking the individual with a vodka bottle, but was unsuccessful. Over the following days he was assaulted, including having boiling water poured over him.

On 26 January, shortly before 10pm, the victim was left in the street naked and seriously injured. A member of the public discovered him and alerted emergency services.

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A police investigation led by the Major Crime Unit relied on mobile phone data, vehicle tracking, and DNA evidence to identify those responsible. The prosecution case established that Hazell had arranged the kidnap, while Blakeney controlled the premises where the victim was detained.

Communications recovered during the investigation showed prior planning. In one exchange, Blakeney asked, “Did you go there?”, to which Hazell replied: “They waited for the geezer, will try again tomorrow.”

The court was told that although neither defendant physically carried out the initial abduction, both played central roles in the offending. Hazell attended the flat after the victim’s attempted escape and was found to have inflicted violence on him, while Blakeney was present at the address and exercised control over the location.

Following sentencing, Detective Inspector Francis Nock of the Major Crime Unit said: “This was an horrific ordeal for the victim, who was left with life-changing injuries after a prolonged period of being held against his will and effectively tortured.

“While neither Blakeney or Hazell physically kidnapped the victim, Blakeney was at the flat when he arrived, and Hazell went to the flat after the victim tried to escape and personally inflicted the injuries on him.

“A huge amount of work went into identifying the kidnappers and piecing together their movements, through painstaking trawls of mobile phone data, vehicle movements, and other witness evidence has secured these convictions.”

The case formed part of Operation Target, a policing initiative focused on tackling serious and organised crime across the West Midlands.