A man endured a terrifying abduction where he was bound, blindfolded, forced into a vehicle, and then repeatedly stabbed. The court learned how Connor Price, 28, faced a nightmarish kidnapping before his father devised a plan to rescue him by crashing into the kidnappers’ car, enabling Price to escape through a car window.
Tyshane Brown, 30, Luke Williams, 19, and George Miles-Williams, 24, conspired to seize Price from Cyfarthfa Retail Park in Merthyr Tydfil on February 10, demanding £5,000 from his girlfriend. Following his escape, Price sustained multiple stab wounds and collapsed, initially mistaking the injuries for gunshot wounds.
The defendants, along with another individual coerced with a gun threat, traveled from Hereford to Merthyr Tydfil. Brown retrieved a bag from bushes during a stop en route. When Price arrived at the park, he was pulled into the defendants’ car by force, with Brown wielding a knife to intimidate him.
Despite Price’s attempts to flee, he was restrained by Williams, while Brown proceeded to stab him. The victim’s girlfriend, witnessing the ordeal, was also threatened by the assailants. The perpetrators demanded money for a bicycle through Facebook, resorting to violence to coerce Price and his girlfriend.
In a daring rescue effort orchestrated by Price’s father, the kidnappers were tricked into believing a ransom drop-off was happening, leading to their capture attempt being thwarted. After a series of events involving a confrontation and a high-speed pursuit, Price was eventually rescued and taken to the hospital for treatment of various wounds.
Subsequently, Brown, Williams, and Miles-Williams were convicted of multiple charges including attempted murder, kidnapping, blackmail, and possession of weapons. Brown received a 30-year prison sentence with an extended license period, Williams was sentenced to 25 years in a young offenders institute, and Miles-Williams received a 20-year imprisonment term.
The presiding judge highlighted Brown as the main instigator of the crimes, with Williams playing a significant role and Miles-Williams a lesser one in the violent incident.