A 20-YEAR-OLD man is due to be sentenced for his part in the kidnap and torture of a hostage and for making ransom demands.

Tyrone Payne, aged 20, of Chiltern Grove, Deptford is due to appear at Croydon Crown Court on Monday (March 28).

He pleaded guilty to kidnap, false imprisonment, blackmail and actual bodily harm at the same court on January 10.

Ricky Dellaway, aged 22, from Streatham was walking with two children when he was approached by a large group of men in hoods and bandanas in February last year.

The group chased and beat him, pistol-whipping him before bundling him into a car.

A woman who witnessed the scene tried to intervene but was forced to retreat after being threatened by the gang. She managed to take the children who had run from the scene to safety.

The hostage, who has learning difficulties, was taken by his kidnappers to an address in Streatham where he was blindfolded, threatened and tortured, while ransom demands were made to various members of his family.

During his ordeal, Mr Dellaway was savagely punched and kicked to the head and body, and burnt with joss sticks, while his captors demanded cash and warned his family that he would be killed and sent home in a body bag if they contacted police.

They further threatened to burn his genitalia, eyes and chop off his finger.

The hostage takers called from a series of different mobile phones and soon lowered their cash demands, when it became clear they would not receive the full amount for which they had asked.

On several occasions the victim was made to speak to his family and plead for the money, while on others he could be heard shouting in the background as he was tortured.

Following investigations by officers from the Met’s Kidnap Unit, armed officers raided a flat in Hopton Road, Streatham, the day after the victim was kidnapped and arrested Tyrone Payne and Jeremiah Clarke.

One of Payne's mobile phones was later found to have been one of those used to make ransom demands.

Shortly afterwards, officers entered another flat in Hopton Road, where they found the victim along with four of his captors - Andre Ricketts, Taylor Harris, Bradley George and Lerone Vincent.

Mr Dellaway was incredibly distressed and immediately taken to hospital, where he was treated for his injuries, which included a fractured cheek bone.

Detective Chief Inspector Craig Turner, from the Met's Kidnap Unit said: "This was a particularly harrowing case, whereby a gang deliberately targeted a vulnerable young man and subjected him to the most horrific ordeal.

"These were dangerous individuals who have rightly faced justice for the terror they inflicted on their victim and his family."

List of men due to be sentenced

Kareem Ricketts, aged 21, of Headley Drive, Croydon, was found guilty of blackmail on March 25.

Andre Ricketts, aged 23, of Headley Drive, Croydon, was found guilty of kidnapping, false imprisonment, blackmail and actual bodily harm on March 25.

Jeremiah Clarke, aged 20, was found guilty of false imprisonment, blackmail and actual bodily harm on March 25.

Daniel Gagliano, aged 22, of Brixton Road, Brixton, was found guilty of false imprisonment and blackmail on March 25.

A 17-year-old male from south east London admitted to false imprisonment, blackmail and actual bodily harm in March last year.

Taylor Harris, aged 19, of St James' Rd, Croydon pleaded guilty to false imprisonment and blackmail in March last year.

Lerone Vincent, aged 19, of Norbury Close, Norbury, admitted false imprisonment, blackmail and actual bodily harm at an earlier hearing.

All eight men are due to be sentenced at Croydon Crown Court on Monday (March 28).