A MAN from Leytonstone has been jailed for his involvement in the kidnap and torture of a chef, over an alleged drug deal gone wrong.

At Southwark Crown Court today, Ryan O'Neill Freeman, 25, of Bulwer Road, Leytonstone, was jailed for seven years for kidnap, seven years for false imprisonment, seven years for blackmail and four years for ABH, to run concurrently.

Freeman and two other men arranged for the victim to be taken from a restaurant in Stratford, then along with a teenage girl, subjected him to an 18-hour ordeal in which he was transported to a lock-up garage in Tilbury Road, Leyton, and tortured.

The victim whipped by the men with a car cam belt so hard that its imprints were left marked on his body, threatened with a blowtorch and boiling water as well as having a plastic bag taped around his head.

When he wouldn't pay up, the victim's captors demanded £4,000 from his sister to secure his release.

All four defendants denied any involvement, but were were found guilty of various offences at Southwark Crown Court last month.

Samuel Lee Walters, 37, of Firefly Gardens, East Ham, was jailed for eight years for the man's kidnap, eight years for false imprisonment, eight years for blackmail and four years for ABH, to run concurrently.

Matthew James Walters, 38, of Greenhill Grove, Manor Park, was jailed for six years for kidnap, six years for false imprisonment and six years for blackmail, to run concurrently.

Venrika Lashay Kelly, 19, of Branksome Avenue, Edmonton, was jailed for five years for false imprisonment, five years for blackmail and four years for ABH, to run concurrently.

Detective Inspector Tom Whorwood of the Metropolitan Police Serious and Organised Crime Command said: "This was a chilling, calculated and prolonged attack. The victim was left to fear for his life and that anguish extended to his sister when the gang decided to demand the money from her.

"Any people willing to subject another human being to the pain, fear and degradation inflicted on the victim, over a moderate amount of money, are clearly a danger to society and deserve to face a lengthy jail term."

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