Drug debt kidnap gangfound guilty

David Lee, 32, of St Kevin’s Drive, Liverpool; Damien Yates, 29, of Medbourne Court, Liverpool; Danny Noon, 19, of Askern Road, Liverpool and John Edwards, 29, of Monfa Road, Bootle, forced entry into a flat on Sefton Road in Morecambe where they attacked a man with a steering lock and cut his face and head with a knife.

Thirty minutes later they bundled another man into a car on Moor Lane in Lancaster.

Brett Gerrity, Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West said: “This ruthless gang are responsible for carrying out terrifying premeditated attacks on two men in order to enforce drug debts after travelling together in a car from Liverpool to Morecambe with a collection of weapons.

“In September 2016, they brutally attacked their first target after kicking in a locked door to a flat armed with a steering lock and Stanley knife blades where the victim was asleep on the sofa.

“As they demanded money from him they hit him and then slashed his face with the blade.

“When he tried to leave the flat they slashed the back of his head and hit him several times with the steering lock.

“They then jumped back in their car and travelled six miles to Moor Lane in Lancaster, where they grabbed a man from the street and dragged him into the back of the car as horrified passers-by looked on.

Police stopped the car as the gang were heading out of the city centre with the victim, who genuinely believed his life was in danger.

“Both of these crimes were extremely violent and could quite easily have had fatal consequences.

“I would like to thank all of the members of the public who called the police that day, enabling the gang to be apprehended before they left the area and preventing any further harm to come to the second victim.

“After carefully considering the evidence against them, the jury have found them guilty of committing the offences.

“The Crown Prosecution Service and the police will continue to work together to ensure that those who use violence to bring fear and misery to our communities are brought to justice.”

The four men are due to be sentenced at Preston Crown Court on March 31.