A former soldier has been sentenced to four years in prison for his involvement in the kidnapping and assault of a man, who was then made to film naked ransom videos.
Mark Pearce, 53, and others abducted the victim from outside his home in April 2024, taking him to a caravan in a field owned by Pearce near Stockton. Teesside Crown Court heard that the kidnappers disguised themselves as delivery drivers before bundling the man into a van.
During the hours-long ordeal, the victim was bound, blindfolded, and repeatedly attacked. He was then stripped naked and forced to film a video asking a relative for money. The court heard the video had to be filmed multiple times as the kidnappers were not satisfied with the initial attempts.
The victim managed to escape after being left alone, wriggling free from his bindings and fleeing across a field to the A19, where motorists assisted him. Pearce, from Stockton, had denied wrongdoing but was convicted of conspiracy to kidnap. Donald Hammond, 43, from London, was previously jailed for six years for his part in the crime.