A DISABLED man was driven suicidal with terror after he was held captive for three days and tortured by drug addicts, a court heard yesterday.

The heroin addicts beat him and robbed him -only allowing him to leave the flat to get them money for more drugs.

David Whitelock, 37, only managed to escape by smuggling a message to police.

He was so terrified by his ordeal that he suffered severe mental illness and had to be detained in a mental hospital for his safety.

The incident happened in March, and Teesside Crown Court was told that two of Mr Whitelock's tormentors were women.

The addicts, who were demanding his benefit money, twice escorted him to a Social Services office, where he eventually managed to smuggle a message to officials to give to police.

During the ordeal, at one of the addict's flats, in Henry Street, Redcar, Teesside, he suffered a broken nose, broken finger, cuts to his face and black eyes.

Christine Egerton, prosecuting, said he was suicidal and had nightmares.

Mr Whitelock was moved from a general hospital to St Luke's Psychiatric Hospital, in Middlesbrough, where he was sectioned for his safety.

Donna Kirton, 31, Andrea Strangeways, 26, and Nicholas Crump, 23, pleaded guilty to false imprisonment.

They and Andrew MacLeod, 32, admitted assault causing actual bodily harm.

Judge Les Spittle told them: "You were involved in the unlawful imprisonment of this man for a number of days and each of you played a part in using violence and humiliation against him.

"He had, in fact, done nothing at all to justify what you did to him. This was prolonged and sustained behaviour towards the innocent victim."

Kirton, of Crossfields Court, Bankfields, Eston, was jailed for six years, including two years for conspiracy to supply heroin and affray, which she also admitted.

Strangeways and Crump, both from Henry Street, Redcar, were each jailed for four years. MacLeod, of Norfolk Close, Redcar, will be sentenced later.

Kirton's boyfriend, Christopher Bushby, 26, of Station Square, Saltburn, who stabbed a man with a broken bottle in Marske on September 4, last year, was jailed for five years wounding with intent and conspiracy to supply heroin, both of which he admitted.