Five members of garage torture gang jailed

Iain Sutherland, Samantha Olsen and Grant Maclean admitted false imprisonment and blackmail

Five people who were part of a gang which kidnapped and tortured three men in a garage have been jailed.

The drugs gang, led by dealer Daniel Lake, used weapons including a blowtorch to torture their victims over a debt in South Shields, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

The garage owner and a henchman were previously jailed, while Lake, 33, is due to be sentenced next week.

Judge Amanda Rippon said it was not clear who inflicted injuries including broken bones but all those involved, who were all from South Shields, were equally responsible.

Jonathon Mason and Liam Price were jailed for affray

The court heard one of the men reportedly owed £10,000 to Lake so he, his brother and an associate were taken to Craig Seales' garage behind Fowler Street on 18 September 2023.

Samantha Olsen, 36, collected the three victims in a car and drove the brother "bloodied and scared" to get money while the other two were tortured for two hours, judge Rippon said.

The men's screams could be heard on CCTV footage from nearby, the court heard.

Judge Rippon said there were failed attempts to try and destroy the CCTV footage at the garage while there was a "jovial atmosphere and banter" going on among the defendants after the victims had been released on the promise they would pay £20,000.

She said the gang used "deliberate torture" and weapons to inflict injuries including broken ribs and a smashed hand but more serious wounds would have "defeated the purpose of the enterprise" which was to cause the men "really serious fear" to obtain money.

Gang leader Daniel Lake is due to be sentenced next week

The brother, who the judge said was "entirely innocent", said he genuinely thought they would all be killed and the family fled South Shields in the aftermath.

Olsen, of Sheridan Road, was jailed for eight and a half years after admitting false imprisonment and blackmail.

Father-of-four Iain Sutherland, 33 and of Marigold Walk, and scaffolder Grant Maclean, 24 and of Bluebell Way, admitted the same offences and were jailed for nine and a half years and nine years three months respectively.

Jonathon Mason, 35 and of Pine Avenue, and Liam Price, 30 and of Oak Avenue, were jailed for 15 months each after admitting affray.

Lake, of Landseer Gardens, and Jonathon Ferguson, 31 and of Quarry Lane, are due to be sentenced on 24 September.

Restraining orders were also made banning the defendants from contacting the brothers to last indefinitely.

Weapons including machetes and knives and phones belonging to the gang were also ordered to be destroyed.