The court gave guidelines in sentencing for kidnapping, and particularly as to the role to be played by the views of the victim.
Held: Such offences differ very widely, ranging from, at the top of the scale carefully planned abductions where the victim is used as a hostage or where ransom money is demanded. For such offences the usual minimum will be 8 years’ imprisonment or thereabouts. Where there are further aggravating elements, such as the use of violence, or firearms or the detention of the victim over a long period of time, then the sentence will rapidly climb.
On the other hand, some offences will only barely be classed as kidnapping. These typically arise within a family context, and the starting point may be eighteen months and sometimes rather less.
Citations:
(1983) 5 Cr App R (S) 413
Jurisdiction:
England and Wales
Criminal Sentencing
Updated: 08 May 2022; Ref: scu.465058