Fourth man jailed for kidnap of accountant

Maninder Singh has been jailed for 13 years and three months for kidnapping an accountant in 2022

A man who was involved in the kidnap of an accountant before demanding a £19,000 ransom has been jailed.

Maninder Singh, along with three other men, bundled their victim into a van on 10 October 2022.

He had been ambushed as he walked to his car in Wolverhampton city centre in broad daylight, West Midlands Police said.

He was kept captive for about seven hours, with his ordeal only ending after the men persuaded one of his work colleagues to leave the £19,000 in a bag at a bus stop.

Singh was jailed sentenced to 13 years and three months at Wolverhampton Crown Court on 16 April.

The three other men are already serving jail terms of between 13 and 16 years after being convicted in July last year.

The accountant – who was not named by police – was bound, blindfolded and taken to a shop in Coseley where he was threatened and had a gun held to his head.

After issuing the ransom demand, the gang left their victim in a van, which they later claimed was stolen, in Coseley.

Singh had earlier pleaded guilty to conspiracy to kidnap and conspiracy to blackmail.

Det Con Dan David, from West Midlands Police’s major crime team, said: "This was a terrifying ordeal for their victim, which left him fearing for his life.

“It was carried out with the sole aim of extracting a large sum of money but instead, each of these men involved is now serving a significant time behind bars.”