Gang in court on kidnap of worker

A Staffordshire man was ambushed and abducted by a gang who then tried to blackmail the Rugeley hot tub company he worked for, a court has heard.

A jury at Stafford Crown Court heard about 27-year-old Craig Moore's ordeal.

Four men were yesterday sentenced for their part in the blackmail of Spa Serve in Rugeley.

On September 23, 2008 the site surveyor went to Chigwell, Essex, to meet a customer and was surrounded by four men, some armed with weapons.

He was told to ring Spa Serve and say he was with a disgruntled customer and request £8,000 be transferred to a bank account.

Mr Moore's captors then let him go.

Gary Russell, aged 43, from Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, was found guilty of the kidnap of Rugeley man Craig Moore, and conspiracy to blackmail.

He was yesterday jailed for four years on each charge, to run concurrently.

Esmond Kaitell, 50, from Romford, Essex, also found guilty of conspiracy to blackmai, got a five year prison sentence.

Simon La Roche, 40, of Ilford, was jailed for two years and eight months. Gurjeet Singh Sagoo, 24, of East Ham, got an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months.