Three men jailed for kidnapping and assaulting man

Three men have been jailed for kidnapping another man, in an effort to get information about a relative.

Lee Ingleheart, 41, Hassan Noor, 31, and Dean Meaker, 58, were convicted of kidnap at Bristol Crown Court. Ingleheart was also convicted of possession of a knife.

The court heard how the three kidnapped a 43-year-old man from his home in Thornbury on 20 October 2022.

Ingleheart was sentenced to nine years and nine months, Noor was sentenced to nine years, and Meaker was sentenced to nine years for the kidnapping, and six months for an unrelated burglary. The sentencing hearings concluded on 17 December.

The three of them used a friend of the victim to arrange a meeting at his home, and then forced entry to his property when he answered the door.

Afterwards, they led him to a Ford Transit van, before driving him to a property in the Stoke Park area of Bristol where he was held against his will and assaulted.

The victim escaped when two of the three left the property to buy drugs, and he hid in a nearby street and sought help.

Police were called when a member of the public saw Ingleheart near the victim's Thornbury address with a large knife.

The van was stopped in east Bristol, where Noor and Meaker were arrested and a knuckle duster and knives were siezed.

Ingleheart was arrested in Stoke Park, where police found the knife used to threaten his victim.

Investigating officer Det Con Carl Spicer said: "The victim in this case went through a terrifying ordeal at the hands of these three criminals, who showed an extremely concerning propensity for violence, as well as being in possession of some fearsome weapons.

"He's shown immense bravery in telling the police what happened to him and we hope he continues to recover from this horrible experience.

"We want to thank the members of the public who called police with vital information, their actions ensured armed officers were deployed and able to swiftly arrest those responsible."

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