Two men have been jailed for more than nine years, with two others handed suspended sentences after kidnapping a man in St Albans.

Macauley Anderson, 29, of Plover Road, Leighton Buzzard, and Samad Ali, 26, of Eastchurch, Kent, were sentenced at St Albans Crown Court on Monday for their involvement in the kidnapping and assault of a man in his 20s. 

The incident happened at around 12.05pm on October 3, 2019, when the victim was bundled into the back of a car on Colney Street.

He was then assaulted before managing to flee the area and hide in a front garden of a nearby property. The victim and suspects were known to each other.

The incident was believed to be linked to a reported aggravated burglary a couple of days previously.

After an investigation by the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, five people were charged in 2021.

The others charged were:

  • Lianna Mazzarelli, aged 23, of Gilded Acre, Dunstable
  • Ayaz Khan, aged 20, of Someries Hill, Luton
  • Amie Kemp, aged 22, of Ross Close, Luton

All five pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to kidnap, Section 18 GBH, threats to kill, assisting an offender and possession of a firearm with the intent to commit an indictable offence.

Following a six-week trial at St Albans Crown Court in April, the jury came back with a majority verdict.

Ali was found guilty of kidnap and GBH, while Mazzarelli, Anderson and Khan were all convicted of kidnap and assisting an offender.

Kemp was cleared of all charges, while the remaining defendants were all acquitted of the firearm possession and threats to kill charges.

The four remaining offenders received the following sentences:

Macauley Anderson – four years and four months in prison. This is broken down as three years and four months for count one (kidnap) and two years for count two (assisting an offender) which will run concurrent to count one, plus one month for failing to attend which will run consecutively

Samad Ali – five years in prison. This is broken down as five years for count one (kidnap) and four years for count two (GBH) which will run concurrent to count one. The five years for count one will run consecutively to the time currently being served (two thirds to be served after his current 12 year sentence and the rest on licence).

Liana Mazzarelli – two years in prison, suspended for 18 months. Plus 15 rehabilitation days and 5 months on an electronic tag curfew 8pm-6am

Ayaz Khan – Two years in prison for count one (kidnap) and one year in prison for count two (assistant an offender), concurrent to count one, both suspended for 18 months. Plus 35 rehabilitation days and electronic tag for five months with 8pm to 6am curfew.

Detective Sergeant Robert Muir, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, said: “I am pleased that Anderson, Ali, Mazzarelli and Khan will face justice for the role they played in this distressing kidnap.

“This was a complex investigation and, due to a number of factors, has taken five years to reach sentencing. The officers involved in this case should be credited for their tenacious work and ensuring the offenders were brought to justice.”

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