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Man dives out of first-floor window to escape kidnappers in Lincolnshire
Updated: 5 days ago
The man, who has not been publicly identified, had been held captive and subjected to violence, threats and humiliation before seizing an opportunity to get away.
The footage was released by Lincolnshire Police after five people involved in the kidnapping were sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court.
A Terrifying Ordeal
The ordeal began on July 4, 2025, when the victim was lured to an address in Market Rasen amid an ongoing dispute connected to a past relationship breakdown.
Once inside, he was prevented from leaving. Police said he was repeatedly assaulted, threatened, humiliated and tormented, with the abuse filmed on mobile phones by those holding him captive.
The following morning, the victim was forced into the back of an Isuzu pickup truck and driven to a property on Portland Street in Lincoln. CCTV shows the vehicle arriving at about 7:30 a.m.
He Took His Chance
Several hours later, at approximately 11:23 a.m., the victim made his move.
CCTV shows him climbing hurriedly through a first-floor window before jumping into the branches of a nearby tree. He then climbed down and sprinted toward the street.
By sheer coincidence, a marked Lincolnshire Police vehicle was turning onto the road.
The victim ran directly toward the vehicle, stepped in front of it to make the officer stop and climbed into the back seat.
“Let me in, let me in,” he pleaded, according to footage reported by The Guardian.
The officer immediately recognized that the man was in distress and understood that he was fleeing a dangerous situation. He was taken to safety and later provided police with an initial account of what had happened.
Detective Constable Liam Henderson, who led the investigation, described the victim's escape as an extraordinary act of courage.
He said the man “quite literally risked everything” to get away from those holding him captive and that the chance arrival of the police vehicle “may have saved his life.”
Five People Sentenced
Police quickly tracked down the people believed to be responsible.
Brad'Lee Ranyard, 20, and Jackson Nicholson, 25, were arrested after armed officers stopped the pickup truck on Washingborough Road shortly after the victim escaped.
Nathan Gladwell, 36, Craig Ranyard, 42, and Danielle Thompson, 38, were arrested later that evening at a property in Market Rasen.
All five were eventually sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court on Aug. 28, 2026.
Brad'Lee Ranyard: 9 years in prison for kidnapping and false imprisonment
Jackson Nicholson: 9 years for kidnapping and false imprisonment
Craig Ranyard: 5 years and 3 months for false imprisonment
Danielle Thompson: 4 years and 9 months for false imprisonment
Nathan Gladwell: 3 years and 7 months for false imprisonment
All five were also given indefinite restraining orders preventing them from contacting the victim or his family.
Police Praise Victim's Courage
Lincolnshire Police said the impact of the ordeal on the victim has been significant, but praised him for finding the courage to take the opportunity to escape.
The victim gave police permission to release the CCTV footage, with steps taken to protect his identity and privacy.
For investigators, the footage provides a stark picture of the moment a desperate escape turned into a race toward safety — and how a police vehicle arriving at exactly the right moment changed the course of the case.
Source: Lincolnshire Police, The Guardian, Lincoln Crown Court
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