Gang kidnapped men after bat and knife attack

Egidijus Savickas (left) and Dovydas Smilginis (right) were found guilty of all the charges following a trial

Four men have been jailed for the violent and pre-planned attack and kidnap of two men.

The gang used bats and knives on the victims after pepper-spraying them and dragging them out of a vehicle, before driving them away in the boots of two cars.

After a trial at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court, two of the defendants were convicted of kidnap, and a number of assault and weapons charges. The other two had already admitted the charges.

The court had heard Modestas Stokus, Mohamed Nasar, Egidijus Savickas and Dovydas Smilginis carried out the attack in Newcastle-under-Lyme on 19 December 2022, but were caught after one victim managed to escape.

Stokus had met the victims and drove them to Meadow Street, where Nasar, Savickas and Smilginis were waiting.

After dragging them out of the vehicle for the attack, the gang bound them with duct tape and interrogated them.

They were then put into the boots of two cars, but one of the victims was able to call for help when he managed to break free.

Victim nearly died

One of the men suffered bruising to his head, face and shoulder while the other spent two months in hospital for extensive bruising, stab wounds and broken limbs.

He contracted sepsis due to his injuries and also suffered kidney failure, said Staffordshire Police.

Savickas and Smilginis were found guilty of two counts of kidnapping, causing grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, having an article with a blade or point and having an offensive weapon.

Stokus and Nasar had pleaded guilty to the charges at the start of the trial in September 2023.

Modestas Stokus (left) and Mohammed Nasar (right) pleaded guilty to the offences at the start of a trial in July 2023

The four men were sentenced to a total of 54 years in jail, on Tuesday:

• Modestas Stokus, 32, of Hawthorne Road in Dudley was jailed for 12 years and seven months.

• Mohamed Nasar, 41, of Marine Drive win Birmingham, was sentenced to 12 years and seven months.

• Egidijus Savickas, 29, of Worcester Road in Bootle, was sentenced to 14 years.

• Dovydas Smilginis, 34, of no fixed address, was also ordered to serve 14 years.

After the sentencing Det Insp Ian Fitzgerald said: “This was a brutal pre-planned attack, with all four men having a role.

"They trussed and bound the victims, savagely attacked them with weapons, bundled them into car boots and drove them away to be dumped.

"One of the victims was nearly killed and spent a few months recovering in hospital. Thankfully, this type of crime is very rare in Staffordshire.

"Today’s sentencing will hopefully send out a strong message that this sort of criminality has no place on our streets.”