Danielle Byford, led by Isobel Ascherson of Drystone Chambers, successfully prosecuted 7-defendants in a complex conspiracy to kidnap and blackmail trial at Cambridge Crown Court.
The case spanned 8-weeks and concerned a number of male victims who were trapped by the gang who posed as females online. After persuading the victims to travel to defendant’s home area of Ramsey, they were kidnapped, threatened with knives, assaulted causing varying degrees of harm, including being stabbed and their bones broken.
Whilst held hostage, the victims were recorded, humiliated and transported around, being blackmailed into providing their banking details and transferring thousands of pounds under the threat of violence.
After being unanimously convicted, lengthy sentences of