Three men have been sentenced to 10 years in prison for kidnapping a woman who mistakenly believed their car was a taxi. The incident occurred in Leicester in the early hours of 16 January.
Ajay Doppalapudi, 27, Vahar Manchala, 24, and Rana Yallambai, 30, all from Gaul Street, Leicester, were convicted of kidnapping following a trial in September. The court heard they had been 'prowling' the city centre when they targeted the victim, who was in her 30s.
The woman, who was drunk and vulnerable, realised she was not in a taxi when the car drove away from her home. She was driven 15 miles to a secluded area near the M1 at Misterton, near Lutterworth, before managing to escape and run to the motorway for help.
Police traced the vehicle through CCTV and arrested the defendants at their address. They were also charged with rape, but the judge ordered the jury to find them not guilty on that charge. The jury could not reach verdicts on other sexual offence charges.
Detective Constable Gemma Fox described the men as 'predators' and praised the victim's bravery in giving evidence. The three men were jailed at Leicester Crown Court on Friday.
