Kidnap victim jumps into tree from window in dramatic escape

By Adam Dutton

A vulnerable man escaped a sadistic kidnapping gang by hurling himself from a first-floor window before flagging down a passing police car.

The victim had endured a terrifying 24-hour ordeal after being lured to an address in Market Rasen, Lincs., on July 4 last year, where he was held against his will by five captors.

Lincoln Crown Court heard he was repeatedly assaulted, threatened, humiliated and tormented by the thugs who filmed the abuse on their mobile phones.

His nightmare continued the following day when he was forced into the back of an Isuzu pickup truck by Brad'Lee Ranyard and Jackson Nicholson and driven along back roads to a property on Portland Street in Lincoln.

CCTV footage showed the pair ushering the victim into the house at 7:30 a.m. on July 5.

But just hours later, at 11:23 a.m., the man, who has not been named, made a daring escape.

Footage showed him scrambling from a first-floor window, leaping into a nearby tree and sprinting into the street in a desperate attempt to break free.

In a remarkable twist of fate, a marked Lincolnshire Police vehicle turned into Portland Street at the very moment he fled.

The victim ran directly towards the vehicle, stepped in front of it to force it to stop and then jumped into the back seat, pleading with officers for help.

PC Kingston immediately recognized the man's distress and officers quickly realized he was fleeing a serious and dangerous situation.

The victim was taken to safety before giving police an initial account of his horrifying ordeal.

Meanwhile, CCTV captured the movements of his alleged captors in the minutes after his escape.

Just four minutes later, Ranyard and Nicholson were seen leaving the Portland Street address.

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They later returned before leaving again carrying a duffel bag and heading to the Isuzu pickup.

Armed officers tracked the vehicle and stopped it on Washingborough Road at 12:07 p.m., arresting both men.

Further inquiries led police to a property in Market Rasen where Nathan Gladwell, Craig Ranyard and Danielle Thompson were arrested at around 9:40 p.m. that night.

The gang was jailed for more than 30 years at Lincoln Crown Court on August 28.

Brad'Lee Ranyard, 20, of Lincoln, was jailed for nine years after being convicted of kidnap and pleading guilty to false imprisonment.

Nicholson, 25, of Gainsborough, Lincs., was also jailed for nine years after being convicted of kidnap and pleading guilty to false imprisonment.

Craig Ranyard, 42, of Horncastle, Lincs., was sentenced to five years and three months after being convicted of false imprisonment.

Thompson, 38, of Market Rasen, Lincs., was jailed for four years and nine months after being convicted of false imprisonment.

Nathan Gladwell, 36, of Market Rasen, Lincs., was jailed for three years and seven months after being convicted of false imprisonment.

All five were also handed indefinite restraining orders preventing them from contacting the victim or his family.

Detective Constable Liam Henderson said: "This was a sustained and deeply distressing ordeal in which a man was subjected to violence, threats and humiliation at the hands of people who appeared to find amusement in his suffering.

"The victim showed remarkable courage in seizing the opportunity to escape.

"The CCTV footage captures a desperate moment in which he quite literally risked everything to get away from those holding him captive.

"By sheer chance, as he fled from the property, a marked police vehicle entered the street. That moment changed the course of events and allowed officers to get him to safety when he needed help most.

"The impact on the victim has been significant, and our thoughts remain with him as he continues to recover from this traumatic experience."