Thurrock: Man jailed for kidnapping and criminal damage

A kidnapper, who was part of a gang who tied up their victim and left him in the back of his own lorry while it was ransacked, has been jailed.

In March this year the driver of a lorry called police to report he had been stopped by what he thought were “plain clothed officers in an unmarked car" who had taken stock from his lorry.

Officers were quickly dispatched to an industrial estate in Grays where they found the victim with his legs still bound together with cable ties.

The court heard that in the early hours of March 21, the lorry driver had left the depot in Corringham with a shipment of bananas from Colombia and was heading to the A13 when a black Kia Ceed pulled in front of the lorry and activated blue lights. A second vehicle boxed him in from behind.

The victim got out of his cab and said five men, wearing high-visibility jackets, told him they were working with the police and needed access to the lorry.

They then threatened the lorry driver and forced him into the back of the vehicle and drove it to an industrial unit in Grays where the contents of the lorry were ransacked, and the victim was left tied up in the back.

He managed to alert a member of the public and used their mobile phone to raise the alarm.

Early investigative work identified Jermaine Yamoah as a suspect.

He was arrested and answered no comment when questioned. He was charged with kidnap, criminal damage and participating in the criminal activities of an organised crime group.

At Basildon Crown Court on Wednesday 7 August Jermaine Yamoah, 34, of Inglis Way, Millbrook Park, London, pleaded guilty to kidnap and criminal damage.

He pleaded not guilty to the third charge, and this will lie on file.

When sentencing Yamoah to four years and four months in prison at the same court on Wednesday 16 October Judge Sam Leigh indicated she thought it was "inconceivable" to think that a targeted hit on a lorry was to recover bananas.

Detective Inspector Yoni Adler, part of the investigative team, said:

“This was a brutal and terrifying incident for the victim in this case.
"It was a co-ordinated and planned attack involving a number of people.
"As a result of a thorough investigation by a team of officers, our irrefutable evidence left Yamoah no choice but to plead guilty to his crimes, however he was not operating alone on that day and our investigation continues.
"We have a very clear message.
"If you come to Essex intent on committing offences, then we will pursue you and bring you before the courts.”

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