Gang bundled pregnant woman into van and threatened to cut her fingers off

Three men have been jailed after kidnapping a pregnant woman and threatening to cut off her fingers.

Audi Johnson, Ahmad Ghiasi, and Nicholas Mitchell bundled their victim, who was six months pregnant, into a van outside her home in Enfield, north London, on May 10 of last year.

Her hands were bound with cable ties and questioned her about her partner, with one threatening to ‘kick the baby out your stomach’ if she lied to them.

They made a series of phone calls to her partner, threatening to cut off her fingers if he didn’t carry out their demands for money and jewellery.

The victim was left alone and managed to escape the van, despite being bound at the wrists and blindfolded, and fled to her mum’s house in a taxi.

Police tracked down the van that same night and the three kidnappers were identified using DNA evidence, fingerprints and mobile phone data.

All three appeared at Kingston crown court today where:

• Audi Johnson, 35, of Cranberry Close, Northolt pleaded guilty to conspiracy to kidnap and was sentenced to five years and four months
• Ahmad Ghiasi, 26, of Fourth Avenue, Luton was sentenced to seven years for conspiracy to kidnap
• Nicholas Mitchell, 55, of Mannock Close, Barnet was sentenced to nine years for conspiracy to kidnap

In a statement submitted to the court, the victim said she hasn’t been able to return to her home since the kidnapping, spending the rest of her pregnancy sleeping on her sister’s sofa.

She said: ‘The incident ruined my life. I will never be the same person again. I am having to start my life all over again.

‘I will forever have fear and paranoia as part of my life now. I didn’t deserve to be a victim of what happened to me. And to top it off, it was all made so much worse by being pregnant.

‘This will always be something that will be part of my pregnancy, which is meant to be a happy experience, and will always be something that is a part of my daughter.’

Johnson, Ghiasi and Mitchell were members of a London-based gang, who had been contracted to carry out the kidnapping.

Detective Inspector Ari Yoganathan from the Metropolitan Police said: ‘The victim was leaving her home to see her personal trainer on a morning that should have been like any other.

‘That a pregnant mother should be bundled into a van and kidnapped from outside her home, bound and subjected to horrific threats is a disgusting and terrifying crime.

‘Officers were able to track her attackers through forensic analysis of CCTV and phone data, recordings and intelligence.

‘This verdict shows how we are taking the fight to criminal gangs and committed to supporting the local communities they intimidate and threaten.’

Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.