Kidnap trio caged

A GANG, who bundled a man in a car before driving him to a pond and threatening to hang him have been jailed.

Jason Marshall, 20, only managed to escape the terrifying ordeal when he swam to the other side of a pond in the Forest of Dean and hid in the woodlands.

His attackers, Jamie Powell, 26, of St John's Street, Coleford; Paul Carpenter, 25, of Wilkes Meadow, Broadwell; and Alan Barrington, 30, of Bank Street, Coleford appeared at Gloucester Crown Court.

They all pleaded guilty to kidnapping Mr Marshall on August 3 and assaulting him causing actual bodily harm.

Judge Mark Horton, who had watched CCTV of the attack in Pyatt's Court, Coleford, told the trio: "You were all involved in a prolonged and merciless attack.

"The background was a burning sense of grievance which may or may not have had some justification in this case but was clearly fuelled by drugs.

"It went from being a violent recovery of property to acts of wanton and, frankly, sadistic revenge."

At the start of yesterday's hearing Lisa Hennessey prosecuting told the court it was 12.15pm on August 3 when eyewitness Peter Skilling, saw what seemed to be "an ordinary fight".

"As he got closer he realised it was something more sinister," she said. "Three men were attacking a fourth. Two would hold him while the third hit him and they took turns to do that."

The victim was then dragged away and put into the boot of a car.

Also in the car park at the time were holidaymakers Michael and Maureen Baverstock.

They saw the trio dragging a man towards a car, and then put a bag or coat over his head before pushing him into the boot.

"Their two children were crying and saying 'go now, Daddy, go now,'" she said.

Ms Hennessy said Mr Marshall was driven to the British Pond near Sling

"They took him out of the boot and beat him again," she said.

"He says it was with a golf club. They strip searched him. They removed his trousers and underwear.

"According to Mr Marshall they took out a rope and put it round his neck and one of them told him 'You will hang."

Then Mr Marshall made his getaway, diving into the pond and hiding. The men stopped looking for him, burnt his clothes and left.

"Mr Marshall made his way from British Pond and was given a lift home by a concerned passer-by. He was taken to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. Fortunately, despite the severity of the attack, his injuries were relatively superficial – extensive bruising and a black eye."

All three men accused have criminal records including for offences of violence.

Joe Maloney, for Carpenter and Barrington, said the night before the attack Mr Marshall had spent the night at Barrington's home – but had abused his hospitality by stealing "a number of items" including a mobile phone. He and Carpenter and another man went looking for Mr Marshall.

Mr Maloney said they wanted to search him for the property.

For Powell, James Mannion said "Rather like his co-defendant, Powell had his hospitality abused by the victim, who stole quite a large quantity of cash which was his girlfriend's. He also stole a large amount of heroin."

Judge Horton jailed the trio for two and a half years jail for kidnap plus nine months consecutively for assault causing actual bodily harm.

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