A schoolboy who was thought to have made cash buying and selling in bitcoin was kidnapped by a gang who demanded £10,000 for his secure return, a court docket heard.
The 14-year-old, who can’t be named for authorized causes, was confronted outdoors a takeaway in Bradford in Might and bundled right into a automotive.
After one of many kidnappers put his hand over the boy’s mouth, the kid was punched and compelled into the again of a Toyota Auris.
Muhammed Khubaib, who owned the automotive, activated the car’s central locking because the boy sat between two males within the again.
Khubaib, 22, then punched him within the face with a glove containing sand, Bradford crown court docket heard.
The prosecutor Laura McBride mentioned the boy was advised he must cellphone his mom and inform her handy over “£10,000 or her son wouldn’t be going dwelling”.
The boy’s mom was known as and he or she described how the abductors demanded cash whereas her son was crying, the court docket heard.
McBride mentioned it was agreed the mom would give the boys £900 and he or she got here out of her dwelling handy over the money when Khubaib drove the Auris to the home.
The incident was subsequently reported to the police and Khubaib was arrested a number of days later.
He pleaded responsible to fees of kidnap and blackmail, however the court docket heard that the three different males concerned had not been recognized or prosecuted. Khubaib was sentenced to 4 years.
The recorder of Bradford, Decide Richard Mansell QC, mentioned the boy had “clearly been focused” by the boys.
He mentioned they kidnapped him after seeing social media posts that urged he had made “an affordable sum of money” from buying and selling in bitcoin or different cryptocurrency.
The court docket heard the sufferer was now not residing in Bradford and Mansell mentioned the offending had resulted in “profound penalties” for the teen and his household.
Talking after sentencing, DC Paul Maxwell of West Yorkshire police mentioned: “We welcome the sentence which has been handed all the way down to Khubaib right this moment at court docket. He pleaded responsible to each counts he was charged with in Might.
“The sufferer, a younger teenager, was weak to prison exploitation and Khubaib tried to use him for cash.
“This was an extremely distressing incident for each the sufferer and the sufferer’s mom, however fortunately each weren’t injured in the course of the incident and have been given assist and help by the police and accomplice companies.”
