The 38-year-old victim was also threatened with vicious dogs in a nightmare attack
A group of London kidnappers who abducted a man in broad daylight and subjected him to “prolonged” physical and sexual torture have each been jailed. Police were called by a neighbour of the victim, a 38-year-old man, in Dorking, Surrey, at around 12.20pm on April 26 last year.
The neighbour said that the victim had been kidnapped by two or three men wearing balaclavas. He was taken to an address in Reigate, where he was blindfolded, force-fed and two dogs were aggressively baited to make him fear they would attack him.
The victim was taken to an address in Farnborough, Hampshire, where he was subjected to a physical and sexual ordeal. The next day, his brother received a number of calls making demands to secure his release. At around 4.30pm that afternoon, officers from Hampshire Constabulary raided the gang’s hideout and rescued the victim.
At the scene, police arrested Reece Armstrong, 30, from Staines-upon-Thames; Tarelle Thompson, 28, of Croydon, South London; Lorna Swyer, 21, of Dorking, Surrey; and Levi Burton, 31, from Leatherhead, Surrey. Police identified a fifth gang member – Sebastian Love, 21, from Merton, South London – as making the demand calls. He was subsequently arrested and charged.
Armstrong and Thompson, were found guilty of conspiracy to kidnap following a six-week trial at Guildford Crown Court in December 2025.
Armstrong was also convicted of assault occasioning grievous bodily harm with intent plus two counts of possessing an offensive weapon. He was jailed for nine years on top of a separate five-year sentence from last year. Thompson was found guilty of possession of an offensive weapon and jailed for nine years, with five years on license.
Swyer pleaded guilty to conspiracy to kidnap and common assault and was sentenced to three years and four months, while Love also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to kidnap and was jailed for three years and four months.
Burton, was found guilty of sexual assault following the trial and he had already pleaded guilty to conspiracy to kidnap, false imprisonment and assaulting a police officer. He was sentenced yesterday (February 23) and jailed for 12 years’ imprisonment plus five years on license. He will also be on the Sex Offenders Register for life.
Senior Investigating Officer, detective chief inspector Kimball Edey, said: “As soon as we became aware that a kidnap had taken place, officers worked at pace to locate the victim as quickly as possible. He was located the day after he’d been kidnapped, and had been subjected to what amounted to torture at the hands of Armstrong, Burton, Love, Swyer and Thompson.
“No one should have to endure the ordeal they had put him through and the sentencing today has ensured they will spend a long time in prison, where they belong.”
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