Three jailed for 75 years for Merthyr kidnap and stabbing

Three men have been sentenced to a total of 75 years in prison for the attempted murder and kidnap of a Merthyr man in a terrifying ordeal in February this year.

The 28-year-old victim arrived at a retail park with his girlfriend on the evening of Monday, 10 February 2025, to meet Luke Williams. He was forcibly taken into another car by Tyshane Brown and Williams, where he was blindfolded and kidnapped.

During the abduction, a phone call was made to the victim’s girlfriend from inside the car, demanding a ransom of £5,000. She heard the victim “pleading for help, shouting that he was being stabbed and that they had knives and a gun.”

The victim was driven around the Merthyr area whilst blindfolded and further assaulted. His girlfriend quickly informed his dad, who rallied three friends to mount a rescue attempt. She rolled up a jacket to simulate the cash and left it at the retail park as arranged.

When the victim’s father and friends approached the car and smashed a window, the vehicle sped away. The dad pursued and eventually rammed the car in an effort to free his son. The victim sustained more injuries during the chaos, including a stab wound to his hamstring.

The victim was eventually transported to hospital, where it was confirmed he had been stabbed nine times, including a severe wound to his abdomen. He also suffered wounds to his face, back, groin, and thigh, along with internal bleeding.

Officers located the abandoned car after it was reported by a member of the public and discovered a significant bloodstain inside.

Williams and Brown were spotted together two days after the incident at a BP petrol station in Herefordshire. On 27 February, officers arrested both men at a caravan park in Kidderminster. During a search of the caravan, police found items including a balaclava, a knife, and clothing matching what Williams wore in the BP footage.

All three were sentenced today for attempted murder, section 18 GBH, kidnap, blackmail, possession of a firearm, and possession of a bladed article:

• Tyshane Brown, 30, from Freshford Court, Grange Road, Weymouth – 30 years
• George Miles-Williams, 24, from Careless Close, Hereford – 20 years
• Luke Williams, 19, from Clifford, Hereford – 25 years