A MAN was this afternoon jailed for ten years after being found guilty of the kidnap and manslaughter of a suspected thief.

Lee Woodier, 25, was convicted of playing a part in the killing of 45-year-old John Newton, from Redcar, in March last year.

Mr Newton was taken from his home, bundled into a van and severely beaten because he was thought to have stolen money.

His friend, George Thomas snr, 77, had his life-savings and a safe taken from his home in Redcar weeks before the attack.

His son, George, 52, grandson, Stephen, 30, and his friend Andrew Jackson, 25, were convicted of murder and kidnap last year.

Woodier was found guilty of kidnap along with the others, but the jury in the original trial could not agree on the murder charge.

A retrial has been taking place at Teesside Crown Court over the last four weeks, and finally came to a conclusion today.

After deliberating for three days, the second jury found Woodier guilty of manslaughter by a majority of ten to two.

His barrister, Nirmal Shant, QC, said Woodier, of Shelley Road, Middlesbrough, was not as culpable as the other three.

She told Judge Peter Fox, QC, that his sentence should reflect the lesser role he played in the case.

The others, all from Middlesbrough, received life sentences with minimum terms of 20 years at the end of the trial in September.