Four teenagers who denied being involved in the kidnapping of a youth in Woodbridge have been convicted by a jury.

Before Ipswich Crown Court were Kai Mangar, 19, of Brunswick Road, Ipswich, Dylan Craft, of Mill Lane, Felixstowe, Nolan Akuoko, 18, of Faraday Road, Ipswich, and a 17-year-old youth also from Ipswich, who can’t be named because of his age.

All four denied kidnapping and robbing another teenager on December 14 last year.

Mangar, Akuoko and Craft were found guilty on Monday (July 18) of kidnapping and robbery and were remanded in custody until their sentencing hearing in September 16.

The 17-year-old was convicted of kidnapping and the jury was directed to return a not guilty verdict on the robbery charge.

Judge Martyn Levett allowed his bail to continue until the sentencing hearing and placed him on an electronically monitored curfew between 9pm-6am.

The court heard that the victim of the offences was lured to Fen Meadow in Woodbridge by the 17-year-old defendant and was then set upon by two others and bundled into the back of the VW Polo where he was robbed.

Giving evidence Akuoko said he had arranged to meet the alleged victim after advertising some cannabis he was selling via Snapchat.

He said the alleged victim got into the car willingly and he denied robbing or threatening him.

Akuoko said the alleged victim owed him £500 for cannabis he had previously supplied him but the teenager did transfer the money to him on December 14.

Giving evidence Craft claimed that the alleged victim had got into a car in which he was a passenger voluntarily to do a drug deal and hadn’t been kidnapped or robbed.

He said that after the alleged victim had got into Mangar’s car voluntarily at Fen Meadow in Woodbridge there had been a fight between the alleged victim and Akuoko.

Craft said he and Mangar had intervened to break it up and things had calmed down but Akuoko and the alleged victim had both had some injuries.

He said the alleged victim had transferred money from his bank account and no-one had forced him to do it.

He denied that the alleged victim had been robbed of his coat and watch.

Mangar and the 17-year-old youth both chose not to give evidence during the trial.