A Catford man has been cleared of kidnapping a pregnant woman while he was on an electronic tag.
 
Emmanuel Okubote, known by the street name 'Sylar', was accused at the Old Bailey of taking Colette Brown and her boyfriend hostage after a Thamesmead cannabis factory was burgled.
 
The court heard he allegedly grabbed Miss Brown round the neck and choked her until she passed out after telling her she was going to die.
 
Okubote, 22, was also accused of holding a gun to the boyfriend's neck, and burning him with a lighter while demanding £40,000.

But a jury at the Old Bailey cleared Okubote, of Battersby Road, of two counts of kidnap, two counts of conspiracy to falsely imprison, one count of conspiracy to blackmail and one of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Okubote had denied all counts, saying in a prepared statement: "I would never assault a woman and I most certainly would not assault a pregnant woman."