Gang jailed for Lily friend kidnap

They bundled their captives into a car boot as they closed up a sports shop in west London in August last year, London's Southwark Crown Court was told.

Among those in the dock was Joseph Hadji, 27, of Ashmore Road, Queen's Park, London, who was jailed for 10 years after admitting two counts of kidnap and one of blackmail.

Two other, Ashanti Kumpati, 29, of Greenhaven Drive, Thamesmead, London, and Paul Wigan, 29, of Milford Towers, Thomas Lane, Catford, London, pleaded guilty to blackmail and two charges of false imprisonment and were each jailed for nine years.

Three others were convicted at the end of a four-week trial. Thijseen Johns-Elliot, 28, of Siddons Road, Sydenham, London, was jailed for 12 years for blackmail and the two false imprisonment counts, while Jason Goode, 27, of Verdant Lane, Hither Green, London, received six years for the false imprisonments.

None showed any reaction as the judge called them into court one by one to be dealt with. However, the last to be sentenced, Vergil Percival, 36, of Northwold Road, Stoke Newington, London, swaggered into the dock, cracked his knuckles and continually smirked as he was told why he had to be jailed indefinitely for two counts of kidnap and one of blackmail.

During a "nightmarish" week-long ordeal the victims were pistol-whipped, forced to watch torture DVDs, and told they would be shot in the head if relatives did not pay a £90,000 ransom, the court heard. The terrified pair, aged 25 and 18, were handcuffed and blindfolded throughout their captivity, fed just once and never given any water. They were also forced to record desperate pleas for help on a dictaphone which was sent to their relatives. When the oldest of the two tried to escape he was viciously beaten.

Police believe the pair were initially held in a hostel in Wembley, north-west London, before being moved to a council flat in Thamesmead, south-east London, rented by a gang member. But neither he nor his accomplices realised police had identified their last stronghold and, after the teenager's brother had handed over £20,000, mounted a surveillance operation. The court also heard that their captives were "stripped and scrubbed" - apparently to remove any DNA or trace evidence - and then forced to wear black bin liners for another cramped journey in a car boot.

Detectives say this suggested the men - who cannot be named - were probably going to be killed. The youngest victim even told officers that as he lay in the back of the car, he was convinced he was going to die. His fellow captive recalled how he thought he was "being dressed to be buried". Fortunately armed police managed to stage a dramatic rescue before the men could come to further harm. Some members of the gang had to be subdued with tasers.

Shortly after the victims were freed, Lily Allen publicly thanked the Metropolitan Police on stage at the GQ Men of the Year show. She said: "My friend was kidnapped a few weeks ago and was kept in a car boot for six days without any food or anything. It was really scary. Thank you to the Met for getting my friend back, we were all terrified. From what I hear, the police did a fantastic job."