South Shields blackmailer who kept prisoners in a locked garage where they were tortured is jailed

Three men were held in a lock-up, off Fowler Street, in South Shields, South Tyneside, on September 18 last year and subjected to horrifying levels of violence while money was demanded from them and their families.

Newcastle Crown Court heard the victims' screams from behind the locked shutter doors were picked up by CCTV cameras in the surrounding streets. 

The attackers used blow torches, corrosive liquids, a shovel and sledgehammer to inflict or threaten violence on the captives, who were also verbally abused. 

Two of the victims, who were brothers, were left so traumatised that they and their entire family packed up and relocated to another part of the country after their release. 

One of them said in a statement said they believed they were "at the end of life" in the garage, which he said was dirty and smelled. He added: "In my head I thought it was the sort of place people get tortured in, like something from a movie. 

"There were weapons laid out on the table, acid or ammonia, sledgehammers, knives, Bunsen burners. 

"My brother was already hurt and crying and I knew immediately I was going to get hurt too." 

Prosecutor Richard Wright KC told the court organised criminal activity and the trade of controlled drugs were behind the torture plot. 

Mr Wright said the victims were "lured" to the garage and told the court: "Audio footage from the lanes outside recorded the sound and even on those outside cameras, with the shutters down, noises of torture and screams of the victims were observed to be heard.”

A total of nine people admitted involvement and today Judge Amanda Rippon put one of them behind bars. 

Craig Seales has been sentenced to a total of ten years and four months.

The others will be sentenced at a later date.

Judge Rippon said: "There is audio of screams coming from the garage.

"The plan was plainly to cause very serious fear and that was done, that was done in spades.”

The court heard Seales was the "de facto owner" of the garage premises the men were kept in and he orchestrated the offences, with Daniel Lake being the "driving force" to get the victims to the lock up, with the help of Samantha Olsen. 

Mr Wright said others were at the garage while the men were being held there and told the court: "In general terms, the Crown submits these are joint offences for which each defendant shares joint responsibility, regardless of the roles that they played.”

The demands for money started at £10,000 but that was "revised upwards" during the ordeal. 

Mr Wright added that while blow torches and other weapons were used and the victims did require hospital treatment afterwards, the injuries, which included black eyes, broken ribs and burns, were not of the most serious level.

Mr Wright told the court: "It is clear the purpose of the defendants was to instil terror into the captives to ensure they paid up and did not go to the police.

"Some of the acts done, pouring corrosive substance were, rather than an effort to cause really serious injury, were part of the effort to ramp up pressure." 

The court heard the victims were told the violence would get worse if the cash demands were not met and one was warned his fingers would be cut off. 

They were ultimately allowed to leave, with a warning they must pay £20,000 within days but the police then became involved. 

Seales, 37, of Rembrandt Avenue, Lake, 33, of Landseer Gardens, Olsen, 36, of Sheridan Road, Ferguson, 31, of Quary Lane, Iain Sutherland, 33, of Marigold Walk, Kasim Thompson, 35, of Cedar Grove and Grant Maclean, 25, of Bluebell Way, all South Shields, all pleaded guilty to two counts of false imprisonment and blackmail.

Olsen admitted unrelated charges of money laundering and cheating the revenue. 

Ferguson admitted unrelated charges of common assault and criminal damage. 

Jonathon Mason, 35, of Pine Avenue and Liam Price, 30, of Oak Avenue, also South Shields, both pleaded guilty to affray. 

Glenn Gatland, defending Seales, said the garage worker has not been involved in supply of class A drugs and added: "All the evidence in the case does not indicate he used any violence at all.

"He could hear screams but he wasn't involved in inflicting any of that."

The court heard Lake has been employed as a cleaner while in prison on remand, plans to move away after his release and has offshore qualifications. 

He admitted being involved in a "scuffle" at the garage. 

Robin Patton, defending Olsen, said she is "vulnerable" and "does not have the wherewithal to say no". Mr Patton added: "She wasn't present when the violence took place, she wasn't expected to be, she was expected to be a driver."

Jane Foley, defending Sutherland, who was a mechanic at Seales' garage, said: "This wasn't his argument, he wasn't involved in the background to the commission of this offence. He's not a drug dealer, he didn't know the complainants. 

"He involved himself to lend support to the argument involving others."

Susan Hirst, defending Thompson, said he had "significantly less involvement" than others and handed in multiple character references. Miss Hirst added that Thompson has a good work record and said: "He accepts he should never have become involved and deeply regrets what he did."

Fiona Lamb, defending Maclean, was not at the garage throughout the time the victims were held there and has shown remorse.

Miss Lamb handed in character references in relation to Maclean. 

Helen Towers, defending Mason and Price, who worked in the garage next door to the lockup where the men were held, said the men had a peripheral role in what happened with the victims. 

Miss Towers said they both accept their presence itself was a threat to the victims and added: "They would like to continue their work as mechanics, far away from this garage." 

David Callan, defending Ferguson, said his client is "quiet and withdrawn", "easily led", handed in several character references and added: "He knew nothing of any drug dealings, he knew nothing of any issues."