Bogus policeman threatened to saw off boy's fingers, court told

A BOGUS policeman robbed two teenagers and threatened to saw off one of his victim's fingers, a court heard.

Benjamin Baker, 24, kidnapped one of the boys and said he would kill him unless his friend brought him £1,000 and some cannabis, it was alleged.

But at Gloucester Crown Court, Baker, of High Street, Lydney, denies charges of robbery, kidnap and blackmail.

Prosecutor Julian Kesner said the two boys, now 17 and 19, were smoking cannabis together just after 1am on May 9 in a Lydney car park.

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They were approached by Baker, pretending to be a policeman, who demanded to know what they were doing, Mr Kesner said.

Baker used his mobile phone to call a police station and keep up the pretence that he was an officer – even giving a collar number to the police operator, he said. In fact, the collar number belonged to a woman PC.

"He convinced the boys he was a police officer and that was the start of a three to four-hour ordeal for them both," said Mr Kesner. "He searched them and in one's pockets he found a small amount of cannabis.

"He told the boys he would let them go if they gave him some money. He walked with the boys to a cashpoint and they both dutifully handed over money from their accounts.

"He then took them to an alleyway where he placed the 17-year-old in a headlock and demanded his PIN. He then ordered the other boy to go back to the cashpoint and draw out the last few pounds of his friend's money.

"After that the defendant ratcheted it up by saying he was going to kill the 17-year-old unless the older boy returned by 6am with £1,000 and two ounces of weed."

Mr Kesner said the defendant took the 17-year-old to his flat and threatened to cut off his fingers with a red Stanley knife and a saw.

But the ordeal came to an end when the 19-year-old, incoherent and tearful with fear, went to a friend's home and told him what happened.

Baker denies robbing each boy. He also denies kidnapping the 17-year-old and blackmailing the older boy by making a demand for £1,000.

The trial continues.