Birmingham Cousins Convicted for Roles in Horrific £3 Million Kidnapping and Torture
Two Birmingham cousins have been convicted for their involvement in a brutal kidnapping plot that saw a man tortured and left with life-changing injuries. Miles Blakeney and Luke Hazell, both aged 37, were found guilty of conspiracy to kidnap, false imprisonment, blackmail, and wounding with intent following a detailed investigation by West Midlands Police's Major Crime Unit.
The Victim's Ordeal and Violent Abduction
The victim's horrific ordeal began on the evening of 21 January 2023 in Lozells. A Land Rover pulled onto Anglesey Street, and a group of men wearing balaclavas jumped out, chased the victim—a man in his 20s—before bundling him into the vehicle. They removed his coat and placed a cover over his head, then drove the Range Rover approximately two miles to a flat in Edgbaston.
A relative of the victim phoned police just after 8.10pm to report the kidnap. Shortly after, the victim himself managed to call another relative from a withheld number, sounding distressed as he revealed: “They have kidnapped me, they have kidnapped me. They want money. They want three mill (£3m).”
Torture and Life-Changing Injuries in Captivity
Over the following days, the victim was held captive in the Edgbaston flat, where he endured severe violence. In the early hours of 22 January, after a guard fell asleep, the victim attempted to escape by hitting his captor with a vodka bottle, but he was unsuccessful. He was then tied up and had boiling water poured over him, resulting in scalding injuries that are life-changing.
His captivity ended just before 10pm on 26 January, when he was dumped naked and badly injured on Perrott Road in Winson Green. A member of the public raised the alarm, leading to his discovery and subsequent medical treatment.
Police Investigation and Conviction Details
West Midlands Police launched a thorough investigation, tracking mobile phone data, vehicle movements, and using DNA techniques to identify the perpetrators. The investigation revealed that Luke Hazell arranged the kidnap, while Miles Blakeney was in charge of the flat where the victim was held. Evidence included messages between the pair discussing previous attempts to kidnap the victim, with Blakeney asking, “Did you go there?” and Hazell replying, “They waited for the geezer, will try again tomorrow.”
Det Insp Francis Nock of the Major Crime Unit stated: "This was an horrific ordeal for the victim, who was left with life-changing injuries after a prolonged period of being held against his will and effectively tortured. The gang was willing to use extreme violence, and their victim will live with that for the rest of his life." He added that painstaking work involving witness evidence and data analysis secured the convictions.
While neither Blakeney nor Hazell physically kidnapped the victim initially, Blakeney was present at the flat when he arrived, and Hazell went to the flat after the escape attempt and personally inflicted the injuries. Both men are scheduled to be sentenced in March.
