Two men grabbed a woman and forced her into a van after one of them accused her of stealing money from him to spend on drugs.
Paul Oxnard recruited John Jefferson in his scheme to snatch the woman and force her to pay back the stolen money, Teesside Crown Court heard.
The County Durham pair were caught on CCTV dragging her into a van before she was able to escape after being punched in the face by 52-year-old Oxnard.
Caroline McGurk, prosecuting, said the victim was left terrified after she was kidnapped off the street and bundled into the van.
The court heard how Oxnard accused the woman of stealing £80 from him after previously stealing around £1,500 from the defendant to buy drugs.
She said the victim was lured to Prince Charles Avenue in Bowburn, County Durham, with the promise of a cigarette before the two men bundled her into the van after she failed to find sanctuary in a shop.
“She left the shop and Jefferson dragged her along the ground down some steps, over a brick wall and to the van,” she said.
“He was assisted by a teenager, who was subsequently sentenced to a ten-month referral order.
“They put her in the back of the van and once inside, Oxnard punched her to the face before she escaped and managed to run away.”
In a victim personal statement, the woman said the incident had left her "physically and emotionally unwell" and she no longer leaves her home without being terrified of it happening again.
Ms McGurk said Jefferson was convicted of a separate robbery and attempted grievous bodily harm with intent when he jumped out of his car and punched his victim in the face with a knuckleduster.
The court heard how the victim in that case was left with facial injuries after he was repeatedly kicked and punched after being knocked to the floor.
The man’s stolen necklace was recovered from Jefferson’s home, the court heard.
Jefferson, of Windsor Street, Trimdon Station, pleaded guilty to kidnap following the events of July 17, 2024, and was found guilty of robbery and attempted GBH with intent following the assault on August 11, 2024.
Tony Davis, representing the 65-year-old, said his client had not taken part in a "sophisticated or well planned" attempt at kidnapping the woman.
He said: “He has to be sentenced for what we can see on camera, in which unfortunately she was dragged to the van but within the matter of two seconds had escaped from the back.”
Turning to the second charge, Mr Davis said the victim’s injuries were not as serious as first thought and he was told the victim had allegedly been behaving inappropriately.
Oxnard, of Mickle Grove, Leeholme, near Bishop Auckland, pleaded guilty to kidnap and assault following the events of July 17, 2024.
Brian Mark, mitigating, said his client is suffering from significant medical issues which would make it difficult for him to serve time in prison.
“The prosecution accepting his basis of plea is considerable mitigation,” he said. “It arose out of a theft, he is almost penniless, that person stole from him and he behaved in an unacceptable way.”
Judge Richard Bennett sentenced Jefferson to a total of six years and six months for all offences and passed a 16-month sentence suspended for two years for Oxnard.
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“Both of you were involved in a kidnap where she was dragged into your van, Oxnard,” he said.
“Whilst it is clear that there was a background of theft carried out by the victim, this did not justify what you did as a group to her that day at all.”
Oxnard was ordered to attend 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days and was made subject to a restraining order to protect the kidnap victim.
The teenager involved in the case cannot be named for legal reasons.
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