A naked kidnap victim made a narrow escape out of the trunk of a car in Scotland.
A local gang was holding him captive as they drove through the streets of Edinburgh.
Emmanuel Chidubem Emmanuel publicly struggled with the kidnappers as they tried to force him back into the BMW’s trunk.
The Nigerian-born captive had brought the car to a halt by pulling its fuses while he was locked in the boot, and the mechanic’s captors then fled as a passer-by raised the alarm.
The four-man gang were found guilty of assault and abduction yesterday after a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh.
Emmanuel’s ordeal had begun when they seized him from an address in the city earlier on February 10.
The kidnappers blindfolded and trussed him up at a house in the Gilmerton area, and accessed his online bank account to take cash.
He was punched and kicked, hit with a blunt weapon and had his clothing cut before he was stripped and stuffed in the boot.
But after failing to kick his way out, he opened a fuse panel inside the boot and ripped out fuses, disabling the car.
Emmanuel in court
Social worker Julie Arbuckle, 47, who was among the witnesses, told the trial:
“They were all kicking and punching him and trying to get him into the car.“At one point the naked guy, they had got him in the car, but he got out the other door.”He looked quite injured. His whole face was swollen.”
Hooman Sojoodi, 22, Sanchez Facey, 23, Glen Elamo, 20, and Arnold Mukueto, 22, will be sentenced next month for the abduction. All four were remanded in custody.
Emmanuel, 27, from Stevenage, Hertfordshire, told the jury he had been visiting Edinburgh on the latest of a number of trips when the gang struck.
He said he’d been trussed around the hands, legs and body and a bed sheet wrapped over him and taped down.
Emmanuel told the jury: “They wanted a transfer of funds.”
He said he had an iPad with him and bank cards and about £1200 was taken from a business account. He denied owing the men any money.
Culled from Daily Record
