Gang of five jailed for 40 years for torturing Peterborough teen

The gang travelled up to Grantham in a pre-planned conspiracy to kidnap, subjected a 17-year-old to violence including assault and wounding by knife, and took him back to Peterborough where he was subjected to more violence at different locations.

The man was finally released from the kidnappers 19 hours after being taken, and took himself to Peterborough hospital to help with his injuries.

The offenders, who all pleaded guilty, included:

Adam Cousens, aged 25, of Bozeat Way, Westwood, Peterborough – for conspiracy to kidnap and cause grievous bodily harm including wounding. He was jailed for 14-years.

Kane Stone, aged 25, of Meadenvale, Parnwell, Peterborough – for conspiracy to kidnap and cause grievous bodily harm including wounding. He was jailed for 14-years.

Mohammed Qasim Nasir, aged 26, of Gladstone Street, Millfield, Peterborough – for conspiracy to kidnap. He was jailed for six-years.

Alan Stokes, aged 36, of Bader Close, Ravensthorpe, Peterborough – for conspiracy to falsely imprison. He was jailed for two-years, three-months.

Danielle Corrigan, aged 27, of St Marys Court, Eastgate, Peterborough was found guilty of conspiracy to kidnap on 14 September. She was jailed for four-years.

Delano Jordan Mckinsley, aged 22, of Mountsteven Avenue, Walton, Peterborough pled guilty to conspiracy to kidnap, and will be sentenced on March 26.

A further 22-year-old woman and a 23-year-old man were found not guilty for conspiracy to kidnap on 14 September.

The offenders began plotting the kidnap in advance, with Corrigan luring the victim out via a conversation on Facebook and via phone.

On 19 September 2016, the victim and a friend set out to meet Corrigan and a friend, thinking that they were about to meet for a drink.

Instead, two men – Stone and McKinsley – jumped out the rear of a Seat Leon and chased the two boys down High Meadow, Grantham.

While one of the boys escaped, Stone and Mckinsley caught up with the victim after he fell, subjecting him to being punched, kicked and stabbed in the bottom. An attempt was further made to subdue the victim with a CS spray.

The victim was then forced into the rear of the vehicle, restrained with handcuffs and driven back to Peterborough by Nasir.

The vehicle was in convoy with a VW Passat, whilst the victim was handcuffed in the rear of the Seat Leon. He received further beatings and superficial cuts to his neck with a knife while in the back of the car.

The victim was forced to place a bag on his head and was taken to a first address – the flat of Alan Stokes – where he was beaten by a group of men for fifteen minutes and threatened with acts of torture. He received another large cut to his face by the knife holder, Stone.

Throughout the night, the kidnappers demanded ransoms for the release of the victim via phone to his family, and at one point the victim was forced to tell a family member he was fine.

In the morning of 20 September 2016, the 17-year-old was moved, again with a bag placed on his head, to a ground-floor flat in the Welland area of Peterborough, before being moved a third time to a location on Buckminster Place.

It was at this location where Stone was forced to stop attacking the victim anymore by other members of the group, and the victim was released, making his own way to Peterborough hospital at 2pm – 19 hours after being taken.

The victim suffered injuries which included deep wounds, bruising and cuts to various parts of the body.

Detectives from Lincolnshire Police started making arrests within hours – and by the morning of 21st September, Cousens and Corrigan were found at Corrigan’s flat at St Marys Court. Upon arrival the pair tried to flee in a vehicle parked in the flats car park.

Stone was arrested at a property on Buckminster Place, where a flick knife was also found hidden, the same knife that was found to have inflicted injury to the victim.

Stokes was visited by Cambridgeshire Police in connection with another matter. Officers were reluctantly let in the property on Bader Close, but once inside they found blood stains, stained towels, handcuffs, a black balaclava, two cans of CS spray and several tools and weapons.

Forensic evidence linked Stokes, Stones, Cousens and Mckinsley to the incidents.

The Seat Leon was found after being sold to a car dealer in Birmingham, and officers retrieved blood stains in the back, evidence of the victim having been carried away in it.

CCTV showed the group meeting at a diner, on the northbound carriageway of the A1, and driving around Grantham town centre up to an hour and a half before the kidnapping.

Cousens, Stone, Mckinsley, Nasir, Stokes all pleaded guilty on 24 August.

Corrigan was found guilty on 14 September.

Senior Investigating Officer Detective Constable Karen Delderfield, Grantham CID, said: “This challenging investigation has been ongoing for almost twelve months and took a lot of hard work and dedication from many police officers and staff. Our team were dedicated to ensuring that sufficient evidence was gathered to bring those responsible for such a serious crime in front of the court.

"This was not an opportunist crime, but a crime that was pre-meditated and pre-planned, with numerous people involved in the planning and execution of kidnap on the 19th September 2016 and the events that unfolded after the victim had been kidnapped. Each defendant had a specific role to play to ensure that their plan worked to perfection. The 17-year-old male victim was lured out into the open following what is commonly referred to as a ‘honey trap’. He was then beaten, stabbed and kidnapped and subjected to significant levels of violence thereafter. He was also threatened with torture, prior to ransom demands being made of the victims family in exchange for his release. Being held against his will and subjected to violence caused significant distress to the victim and also to members of his family who were growing increasingly concerned for his safety. Crime of this nature is not to be tolerated and I am pleased that the individuals responsible have been held to account for their actions that day.”

Senior Investigator, Detective Superintendent Pete Grayson said: “This was a violent and sustained attack on a 17- year-old. The offenders planned their actions in advance convincing the victim and his friend that they were going to meet two girls for an evening out. Instead the victim was kidnapped and bundled into a car, sustaining knife injuries and being held prisoner for many hours. This must have been a very frightening event.

"Thankfully crimes like this are very rare on our streets and I am very pleased with the outcome at court. I hope that the sentences send out a clear message to people that we will not tolerate this kind of behaviour and that our officers will pursue those responsible and bring them to justice. I would like to thank the whole of the prosecution team for the hard work that has gone into ensuring that this case was presented to the court.”