Three people who tied a Cheshire man to a chair, hit him with a metal bar and forced his head underwater have been jailed. Millie McGreavy, Joshua Hastie and Reece Jackson were sentenced at Chester Crown Court on October 19, having previously pleaded guilty to false imprisonment and assault.
Kidnap and Demands for Money
The victim's mother reported her son missing and told police about threatening calls at around 2.30pm on January 27. The offenders demanded she meet them at Knights Grange, in Winsford, and hand over £2,000, warning that her son would be 'chopped up' if she did not pay.
Almost eight hours later, another woman told police that an unknown man had visited her home on Hemswell Close, Winsford, and said he had been kidnapped. She said the man was too scared to leave the property. Officers attended and confirmed the man was the same person reported missing by his mother.
The Attack and Escape
The victim told officers that McGreavy, Hastie and Jackson descended on his home at around 3am that day, forced him into the back of a black vehicle and drove him to an unknown flat. There, he was placed on a chair with his legs tied to the chair legs and his arms tied in front of him.
He was then systematically attacked by the three, including being hit with a metal bar, having his head forcibly pushed into a bath full of water and having ammonia poured into his mouth. He managed to escape the flat after around 19 hours.
Arrests and Sentencing
After the manhunt began, Hastie was found nearby after being spotted fleeing the scene by police. Jackson and McGreavy were both found in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, on February 2. During questioning, the three defendants answered no comment to all questions but were charged in relation to the incident.
Jackson, 35, of Austin Close, Winsford, was jailed for seven years and six months. McGreavy, 28, of Launceston Close, Winsford, was sentenced to five years and 10 months in prison. Hastie, 33, of Weaver Grove, Winsford, was jailed for five years. All three were also handed indefinite restraining orders to prevent them from contacting the victim.
Following the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Neil Mooney of Northwich CID said: "Firstly, I would like to recognise the dedication and determination of the officers in this case. Thanks to the comprehensive evidential package they provided, including video interview evidence, witness statements, identification evidence, and digital materials, the defendants had no option but to admit their guilt."
"I would also like to recognise the bravery of the victim. To be forcibly held against your will, tied to a chair and repeatedly attacked must have been terrifying and something that nobody should ever have to experience. While he will never be able to forget what happened to him that day, I hope the sentences handed to McGreavy, Hastie and Jackson will provide him with some closure."
