Gang stole £500 from man they wrongly abducted and gave him back £20 in compensation

A masked gang who abducted the wrong man stole £500 from him anyway, before giving him back £20 in compensation.

The men, wearing balaclavas and armed with an axe and a wrench, grabbed cyclist Jack Haycock from the street as he paused to change the music he was listening to.

After bundling him into a car they realised they had the wrong person, but made him hand over £500 anyway.

They then gave him £20 so he could pay for a taxi to go and collect the bike he’d been forced to abandon.

Now the bungling gang’s driver, Joseph Waters, 28, has been jailed for 13 years for his part in the terrifying ordeal.

Liverpool Crown Court heard on Thursday, that Mr Haycock left his home on his bike at around 9.30pm on September 29 2022.

He cycled across the Bridgewater Expressway while heading in the direction of Runcorn, Cheshire.

When he stopped to change his music, he heard a shout and saw four males in balaclavas running towards him.

Michael O’Brien, prosecuting, described how one of these males was armed with an axe, while another pointed a wrench towards the victim and shouted ‘you’.

Mr Haycock dropped his bike and ran into a nearby car park, but slipped as his assailants gave chase and was grabbed from behind.

He was then pulled towards a silver Volvo S60 car, which was registered and insured to Waters, also believed to be the driver of the car.

The gang then removed Mr Haycock’s face covering, at which stage one of them said ‘it’s not Ryan’.

He was then bundled into the rear passenger’s side and ordered to direct them to his house.

When he explained he only had £500, he was punched to the head and face, while one of the gang said: ‘He’s lying. He’s got more money. You must have more money. Your mate drives a nice car.’

Mr Haycock was able to flee the car at one point and began banging on the front door of a nearby house, but one of his attackers got hold of him again and told him: ‘Why have you done that lad? You’re going to make it worse. You’re going to get us nicked.’

He was then ordered to call his dad, and tell him to get £500 cash and put it in a bag, which his father did.

A ‘male called Jamie’ then arrived at his address and collected the money.

Mr Haycock was freed and one of the gang gave him £20 and said: ‘Here’s £20 for a taxi to get your bike.’

In a statement which was read to the court on his behalf, Mr Haycock said the kidnapping had had a huge impact impact on him psychologically:

He said after it happened he ‘wouldn’t go out’, adding: ‘I was looking over my shoulder all the time. I had nightmares about what happened.

‘I felt more on edge and less trusting. Things have improved, but not gone back to the way they were. I don’t believe I’ll go back to the carefree person I was.’

Two days after the incident, Waters was stopped by police while driving the same car.

This prompted a search of his home, where £1,100 of cocaine, £1,460 of ketamine and more than 1kg of cutting agents were discovered.

A series of messages relating to the supply of the two drugs were also found on his mobile phone.

He was only charged and brought before the courts, however, after beingarrested at Manchester Airport on January 21 this year.

His accomplices have never been identified.

Waters criminal record shows three previous convictions for five offences, namely possession of cannabis in 2015, a suspended sentence for possession of heroin and cocaine with intent to supply in 2016 and 45 months behind bars for being concerned in the supply of heroin and cocaine in Scotland in 2017.

Patrick Cassidy, defending, told the court: ‘The offending here is in excess of two years ago.

‘It does not appear to be in any way the fault of the defendant that the delay has been occasioned. In that period, it is noteworthy that there was no other offending by this defendant.’

Mr Cassidy said Mr Haycock’s abduction ‘lasted for around an hour’ which was ‘not as long as many abductions’.

He added however it was a ‘significant and undue’ and ‘taxing incident’.

‘There was no actual use of the weapons, but of course they were there to frighten the complainant in terms that succeeded in getting him into the car and directing the driver, this defendant, to his home address.

‘It is apparent that this may have had some planning, but it was not sophisticated.’

Mr Cassidy said this was Walters’ first offence of violence and that he feelsremorse.

He said Walters’ employer had written a letter to the court in which he says he’s been impressed by him.

Waters, of Abbeyvale Drive in Belle Vale, admitted robbery, possession of cocaine and ketamine with intent to supply and being concerned in the supply of cocaine and ketamine.

Appearing via video link to HMP Liverpool, he was jailed for 13 years and two months and handed an indefinite restraining order.

Sentencing, Judge Ian Harris told Walters his victim had ‘suffered a terrifying ordeal’.

He added: ‘He describes anxiety, stress, sleeplessness and nightmares, all as a consequence of you and the gang you were with detaining him.

‘Robbery, in the circumstances of this case, is a dreadful offence. You deprived your victim of his freedom of movement. You caused terror by forcing him to do your bidding by the threat of weapons, especially considering that there were four of you.

‘You have written to me saying how much you regret getting involved. Letters do little to ameliorate the consequences of your deliberate and planned offences, all of which was your choice.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.