This is the moment a hostage was discovered in the back of a transit van - after being abducted and blackmailed over £300k unpaid debt. Darren McLean, 38, was behind the wheel of a van on July 16, 2020, when he was stopped leaving a travellers site.
The blackmail victim was found inside the rear compartment, and body cam footage shows him lying on a mattress before being freed by an arresting officer. McLean claims he's a friend of his, but it quickly transpires that this is not the case, with the victim reporting he'd been threatened with violence and racially abused.
In January, McLean was found guilty of two charges of conspiracy to blackmail and one count of conspiracy to falsely imprison. He was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment and received another five years for unrelated offences.
Staffordshire Police said that Wood Green Crown Court heard how two brothers from Stoke-on-Trent travelled to London in July 2020. They were subjected to blackmail threats, and in the days that followed, mobile phones were used to demand large sums of money, over £300,000, to secure the release of one of the brothers.
These demand calls continued for the next few days until armed police stopped a yellow transit van leaving a travellers’ site in Cambridgeshire on July 16. As officers approached the van, driver Darren McLean caused deliberate damage to a mobile phone in an attempt to rid of the evidence.
The victim was discovered in the back of the van moments later. Deputy Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Sergeant Garry Jackson said: “This was a terrifying experience for the victims. It also had a profound impact on their family members and friends.
“The investigation was incredibly complex and involved a number of police forces who supported our efforts, including the Metropolitan Police and Cambridgeshire Constabulary. I would like to thank all of the officers and staff involved from Staffordshire for working tirelessly on the case. As a force we are committed to tackling and disrupting organised criminality.
“We’re pleased that McLean will now be serving a substantial sentence which reflects the seriousness of this disturbing crime.”
