Kidnap Gang Found Guilty

A teenage girl and three men involved in the kidnap and torture of a chef using a blowtorch and boiling water, over a drug deal gone wrong, have been convicted by a jury today.

Samuel Walters, his brother Matthew Walters and Ryan Freeman arranged for the victim to be taken from a restaurant in Stratford on 3 October 2009.

They and teenager Venrika Kelly then subjected him to an 18-hour ordeal in which he was tortured while they demanded £4,000 from his sister to secure his release.

Brothers Samuel and Matthew Walters were found guilty of kidnap, false imprisonment, blackmail and ABH. As were 24-year-old Ryan O'Neill and 19-year-old Venrika Lashay.

During the trial the court was told by the prosecution how the victim incurred the wrath of the defendants over a drug deal in which Samuel Walters was sold two kilos of 'cannabis' that turned out to be fake.

The victim had been approached by the dealers - two men who claimed to be from Milton Keynes - at the café in which he worked in Stratford High Street. They asked him if he knew anyone who wanted to buy drugs from them, and the victim took their contact details which he passed on to Samuel Walters.

A deal was done between the dealers and Samuel Walters on 1 October 2009, with £4,000 changing hands, and when the latter realised he had been tricked, he held the victim responsible.

Two days later, at around 21.00, a group of males and females, including the Walters brothers and Freeman, went to the restaurant and forced the victim to leave before taking him by car to a lock-up in Tilbury Road, Leyton. The premises were used as a car workshop run by Samuel Walters.

The victim was punched and led into the garage where Kelly was waiting, while Matthew Walters demanded repayment of the money lost in the drug deal.

With the victim unable to produce the cash he was then tortured in a variety of ways including being whipped with car fan belts whilst being threatened with a blow torch and boiling water as well as having a plastic bag taped around his head.

The captors kept hold of the victim overnight, keeping constant guard of their prisoner, and on 4 October 2009 they called his sister to demand the money, threatening to kill him and dump the body if she did not pay.

The victim was finally released that day, dropped off in the Stratford area and attended Newham General Hospital for treatment to his injuries.

The Walters brothers and Kelly were arrested at the lock-up on 5 October 2009 whilst Freeman was arrested several days later. All four denied any involvement in the offences.

(LB/GK)