Drug-addled thugs stole a car and falsely imprisoned its three passengers when 'things quickly got out of hand', telling them they would be 'buried' if they tried to do anything, a court heard.
Ryan Nuttall, 31, and Malik Husain, 21, have been jailed for 30 months each for their role in a terrifying chain of events.
A court heard Emma Waterworth, a woman Nuttall knew in Birmingham, had agreed to travel to Preston and take him back to the West Midlands. She made her way to Lancashire with Kevin Chapman and Neil Gibb, who had never met Nuttall before, the court heard.
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The group arrived around 11pm but due to the time of day, decided to stay at another house for the night and return to Birmingham the following morning, reports Lancs Live.
However as they were about to leave, Nuttall asked the driver, Kevin Chapman if they could go to a few other addresses. Mr Chapman was frustrated and questioned how he was going to be paid for driving.
The group drove to another part of Preston where they met with Hussain, who joined them in the car. They then drove to an 'unfamiliar ' part of Chorley, and stopped in a cul-de-sac where there were a number of men.
Nuttall and Hussain got out of the car and began speaking with the group and seemed to be taking drugs with them, Preston Crown Court was told. At one point Nuttall was handed a cannister of nitrous oxide. A few minutes later, Hussain walked over to the car and took the keys from the ignition, telling Mr Chapman: "It's my car now."
"At that point the mood completely changed", prosecutor Jon Savage told the court. "The defendants began to threaten the occupants of the car. It was made clear to Kevin Chapman that the car wasn't going to be returned. If anyone tried to do anything about it they would be 'buried'."
Nuttall and Hussain put the passengers in the back of the car and Nuttall got behind the wheel, with Malik in the passenger seat. For the next 30 minutes, Nuttall drove round "like a maniac", telling the passengers the were "kidnap victims".
He stopped the Vauxhall Corsa on a football pitch where a 'melee' ensued. Ms Waterworth and Mr Gibb were able to get out of the car, but as Mr Chapman tried to get his keys back he was attacked by Nuttall and Hussain. At one point Nuttall struck Mr Chapman with the nitrous oxide cannister as the pair rained blows on him.
Ms Waterworth managed to raise the alert and called the police. Mr Chapman suffered bruises and soft tissue injuries as a result of the attack.
Officers from Lancashire Police tracked down the Corsa at 8.30am the following morning. Hussain tried to run away but was caught by a police dog and arrested at the scene. Nuttall tried to drive away but was overpowered by officers and arrested.
Nuttall, of Withy Grove Crescent, Bamber Bridge, pleaded guilty to false imprisonment, ABH, handling stolen goods - the car, and driving without insurance or a valid licence. Hussain, of Olive Close, Whittle-le-Woods, pleaded guilty to false imprisonment, aggravated vehicle taking and ABH.
In a victim impact statement, Mr Chapman said the incident has left him anxious and struggling with his mental health. He feels unable to leave his home and relies on family to get shopping for him. He suffers flashbacks and has difficulty sleeping, he said.
Sarah Magill, defending Nuttall, said at the time of the incident her client was struggling to come to terms with his grandma's dementia, as he was a carer for her. His time in custody since the incident has been "the worst ever", due to overcrowding and missing precious time with his nan.
Claire Thomas, defending Hussain, said her client had recently broken up with his partner and was "in a bad way". He was taking drugs and drinking, following the death of his grandma, earlier that year. However since his arrest, Malik has returned to his family home and has accepted help from agencies to deal with his struggles.
It happened on September 10 and 11, 2022.
Sentencing, Recorder Nicholas Owen-Casey said: "This all relates to a 24 hour period in September 2022. It seems three people have come from Birmingham area to do a favour for Ryan Nuttall. The only connection is that Emma Waterford and Nuttall had been long term friends. Other than that, Hussain, you didn't know any of the three victims.
"By any stretch, one can only imagine the horror, distress and upset the three people in that Vauxhall Corsa would have felt when you were driving round like a maniac. I am told the driving was dangerous characterised by speeding and drug taking or driving under the influence. It was highly erratic driving.
"They were kept in the back of the car - there was no other kind of restraint. There is no suggestion this was planned. It seems to me to be something that got completely out of control.
"I can well see in both of your cases that your offending is borne out of your personal circumstances. You have both had difficult lives, difficult beginnings and tragedies in your own ways. This doesn't suggest these are good reasons for your offending but they do contribute."
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