Kidnapper who bundled man into car outside Northampton town centre McDonald's jailed

Doyle took part in the kidnapping along with tow unknown men.

Daniel Doyle, 28, from Forest Road, Far Cotton, was jailed at Northampton Crown Court yesterday (September 21) after earlier pleading guilty to kidnapping.

Two other unknown men were reportedly involved in the incident when the victim was forced into a car outside McDonald's in The Drapery, Northampton town centre.

His Honour Judge Michael Fowler said: "It has a flavour of some sort of turf war.

"It was on the streets of Northampton, in daylight, as people watched someone get duffed up and bundled into a car. It is a serious offence."

The court heard how some of the incident was captured on CCTV at around 3.50pm on June 14 last year.

The victim was walking on The Drapery when a grey BMW pulled up and two men got out.

Prosecuting barrister Stephen Kemp said: "Within seconds [the victim] can be seen running away up The Drapery.

"He got to outside the McDonald's when a blonde man grabs him and [Doyle] grabs him. They pulled him away and his struggles with them.

"Another man punches [the victim] and he is on the floor."

Despite the victim's struggling, the three men forced him into the BMW and drove away.

A witness reported the kidnapping to the police. But two officers soon found the victim, who was by himself and seemed "drowsy and sick". He was taken to A&E.

Doyle's defence lawyer said that a "conversation" took place inside the car before the victim was "dropped off, unharmed".

Judge Fowler said: "This was kidnapping, and it couldn't be seen as anything else.

"It was absolutely clear from the first confrontation with the victim that this was not a friendly chat."

Doyle was sentenced to three years in prison.