Men jailed over Booker cash and carry kidnap robbery
A man from Northamptonshire has been jailed for 13 years for kidnapping a cash and carry manager and robbing the premises where he worked.
He was part of a gang of four men who dragged the victim into a car in Nottinghamshire and later forced him to open the Booker shop, in Grantham.
After cash and cigarettes were taken he was left in a Leicestershire field.
Nathan Pilsbury, 23, of Kingsheath, Northampton, was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday.
Pilsbury was found guilty of kidnap and robbery and sentenced to 13 years and six months.
Andra Hoyland, 28, of Broughton, Kettering pleaded guilty to kidnap and robbery and was sentenced to seven years and six months.
Richard Loveridge, 20, of Great Billing, Northampton, pleaded guilty to kidnap and robbery and detained for six years in a young offenders institute.
Martin McBrien, 26, of Little Billing, Northampton, pleaded guilty to kidnap and robbery and was sentenced to 10 years.
Nottingham Crown Court heard how the 54-year-old victim was forced into a car in Wolds Drive, Keyworth, by two masked men on 3 November 2010.
He was threatened with a knife and forced to hand over his car keys before being bound and bundled into the back of the vehicle.
After taking him to the cash and carry in Gonerby Hill Foot, they loaded the stolen cigarettes into a Mercedes Sprinter van, which they also used to drive him to the field near Redmile about three hours after he was abducted.
Nottinghamshire Police said the men were part of an organised crime group who had plotted the crimes.
Insp Andy Roberts said: "This was clearly a planned and co-ordinated operation and these men put their victim through a terrifying ordeal in order to gain entry to the cash and carry.
"Although the manager was physically unharmed in the incident, the trauma of what happened has had a huge psychological impact.
"The length of the sentence reflects the gravity of the crimes and I hope that it will bring some long awaited closure to the victim."