02/06/2003
Beckham kidnap case thrown out of court
The Victoria Beckham kidnap plot has been thrown out of court after the prosecution's key witness was dismissed as 'unreliable'.
Five men – four Romanian and one Kosovan Albanian - had been charged with conspiring to abduct Victoria Beckham, wife of England football captain David Beckham, in November last year. However, the case collapsed when evidence was heard that a newspaper had paid £10,000 to a Kosovan man for the story.
The kidnap plot came to light last November following the News of the World's decision to run a front page story, which described how the newspaper's reporters had infiltrated a plot to abduct the singer.
The source of the information was alleged to be a 27-year-old Kosovan parking attendant, a convicted criminal who was said to be in "financial difficulties" at the time of selling his story.
Judge Simon Smith referred the matter to the Attorney General, and warned about "the temptations" that arise when newspapers offer money in return for stories about celebrities.
This is second alleged kidnapping attempt in recent years for the Beckhams, who are currently in the US. In 1999, Scotland Yard's organised crime unit prevented an attempt to kidnap Victoria Beckham and her son Brooklyn. No arrests were made at the time.
(CL)
Five men – four Romanian and one Kosovan Albanian - had been charged with conspiring to abduct Victoria Beckham, wife of England football captain David Beckham, in November last year. However, the case collapsed when evidence was heard that a newspaper had paid £10,000 to a Kosovan man for the story.
The kidnap plot came to light last November following the News of the World's decision to run a front page story, which described how the newspaper's reporters had infiltrated a plot to abduct the singer.
The source of the information was alleged to be a 27-year-old Kosovan parking attendant, a convicted criminal who was said to be in "financial difficulties" at the time of selling his story.
Judge Simon Smith referred the matter to the Attorney General, and warned about "the temptations" that arise when newspapers offer money in return for stories about celebrities.
This is second alleged kidnapping attempt in recent years for the Beckhams, who are currently in the US. In 1999, Scotland Yard's organised crime unit prevented an attempt to kidnap Victoria Beckham and her son Brooklyn. No arrests were made at the time.
(CL)
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Three men have been jailed for a total of 29 years after violently kidnapping a 21-year-old man and holding him hostage for four days. The trio, from south east London, were sentenced at Croydon Crown Court. Deji Adegunle, 22, was given 13 years for conspiracy to commit kidnap, false imprisonment, and blackmail.
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Briton In US Admits Plot To Kidnap And Eat Children
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Briton In US Admits Plot To Kidnap And Eat Children
A 40-year-old Briton in the US has pleaded guilty to plotting to kidnap, rape, kill and eat a child, and faces up to 27 years in jail. According to the BBC, in a raid last year, the basement of Geoffrey Portway's Massachusetts home was equipped with a steel cage and a child-sized home-made coffin.
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Man Guilty Of Soldier Kidnap Plot
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Man Guilty Of Soldier Kidnap Plot
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Fathers 4 Justice disbands on kidnap plot allegations
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