A BURGLAR and cannabis dealer kidnapped an escort and her boyfriend and held them hostage for a ransom of £500.

Tobias Bruce, of Milestone Road, Carterton, has been jailed for three and a half years by a judge in Oxford Crown Court.

Prosecutor Guy Williamson said the 22-year-old had admitted breaking into a house in Wellington Street, Oxford and stealing £860 cash on September 27 last year.

He was then arrested on January 23 this year with 15.74g of cannabis, a class B drug, which he admitted possessing with intent to supply.

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Mr Williamson said that five days later, on January 28 at about 3am, Bruce and another man encountered “female escort” Elena-Diana Paduraru and her boyfriend Gheorge Ilie in the centre of Oxford. He said they took the keys to the couple’s car and the defendant told the woman: “Tell your boss I want some money.”

The barrister said Bruce spoke to someone on a phone and demanded £500 in exchange for letting the two go.

They then spent about two hours driving around the Friars Wharf and Abingdon Road areas of Oxford, Mr Williamson said.

The prosecutor said Bruce eventually became aggressive and threatening, picking up a brick and telling his captives if he was not paid quickly they would get hurt.

Mr Williamson said the defendant also told the man on the other end of the phone he had a gun – but when they stopped to meet him his prisoners managed to escape.

Bruce has now admitted two counts of kidnapping and one count of blackmail.

Mr Williamson added that he has previous convictions for robbery, burglary and possessing knives.

Lucy Tapper, defending, said her client had struggled with insecurities and self-esteem problems since he was at school.

She read a letter Bruce wrote to the court which said: “I wish I could have told my victims that I’m sorry somehow.

“It was a very stupid and selfish thing to do and I wish I could rewind time.”

Passing sentence on Tuesday, Judge Ian Pringle told Bruce his behaviour was “completely unacceptable”.

He also ordered him to pay a £120 victims’ surcharge.


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