A Londoner has been handed an 18-year sentence after the kidnap of a man from Ipswich last year.

Abubakar Sheikh, 33, of London, was found guilty of conspiracy to kidnap, false imprisonment and causing grievous bodily harm following a trial at Ipswich Crown Court.

Sheikh appeared before the court on Tuesday to be sentenced to 15 years imprisonment and three years on extended licence.

His 30-year-old victim had arranged to meet some friends in central Ipswich on the evening of Friday June 23, 2017.

A number of other associates arrived, and after a conversation regarding a money debt, the victim was kidnapped and taken in a car containing three men.

He was then driven to a flat in London, where he was held and systematically beaten.

The victim was blindfolded and repeatedly punched and kicked in the face and body. His hands and fingers were hit with a hammer, and an irritant poured in his eye.

In the early hours of Sunday, June 25, the man was removed from the flat, put in van and later left by a roadside in Essex.

A short time later, a Harlow shopping centre security guard found a seriously injured man in a carpark and called police.

The victim had sustained substantial injuries, including fractured ribs, a fractured thumb, a detached retina, and heavy bruising and to face and torso.

The kidnapped man believes he was targeted as a result of a dispute regarding the supply of illegal drugs in Ipswich.

A Suffolk police investigation led to four men being arrested and charged.

The four-week trial was held at Ipswich Crown Court and concluded on May 24.

Two other men, charged with kidnap, were found not guilty by the court. A fourth man was charged with kidnap and possession of a Class A drugs, but was acquitted.

Detective Inspector Matthew Connick said, “This was a challenging and complex investigation where the victim suffered a horrendous ordeal in what was a planned and targeted attack.

“This sentencing reflects the seriousness of the offences.

“Officers worked tirelessly and diligently to identify the associated threats from this criminality spanning several police force areas which has resulted in the conviction of Abubakar Sheikh.”