Gang snatched schoolboy, 14, off street and threatened to behead him unless family paid £40,000 ransom

A gang of thugs kidnapped a 14-year-old and told his parents they would chop his head off if they didn’t pay a £40,000 ransom, a court heard.

Abdal Miah, 29, Liban Mohammed, 20, Anjam Shaffique, 30, and Carlos Treazure, 27, are on trial accused of snatching the unnamed youngster off the street.

The terrified teen was allegedly taken outside an off-licence in Sheffield, South Yorks., dragged into a car, and driven to a rural village - where he was eventually released eight hours later.

Snatched: The teenager was allegedly kidnapped on this Sheffield street

Sheffield Crown Court heard the teenager had a hood placed over his head, and was forced to make phone calls to his father and mother relaying his abductors’ ransom demands.

Alistair MacDonald QC, prosecuting, said the youngster was talking to friends outside Bir’s Beers on Staniforth Road, when he was snatched at around 4pm on October 31 last year.

He said a man approached him and asked whether he was responsible for smashing up his Vauxhall Astra car.

'The man gripped the boy’s wrist and tried to drag him away,' Mr MacDonald said.

 

Jurors heard that another kidnapper arrived when the boy resisted, and they both dragged him behind the off-licence and threw him into the back of a waiting car.

'His head was held down and a hood was placed over his head,' Mr MacDonald said, adding four men were in the car.

He said the teenager’s father rang his son’s phone and one of the kidnappers answered.

They said they wanted 40 ‘bags’ - slang for thousands of pounds - or ‘his son was coming back in pieces’.

Released: The kidnapped boy was released near the village of Ringinglow (pictured)

When the boy’s parents failed to raise the money, the amount was dropped to 2,000 pounds, jurors heard.

'There was even a threat to chop the boy’s head off,' Mr MacDonald said.

The schoolboy was released at around midnight, and ran to a farmhouse in Ringinglow, where resident Angela Batty helped him to call the police.

Mr MacDonald said the alleged kidnappers were snared using DNA evidence and telephone call data.

'Only the kidnappers know why they released him,' he said.

The four deny kidnapping and blackmail. 

The trial continues.

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