Woman Endures 12-Hour Kidnap Ordeal Including Face Taser Attack
A vulnerable woman has revealed she suffers from complex PTSD after being tricked from her home, Tasered in the face, stripped and driven to remote moorland during what a judge described as a "frightening, humiliating and protracted" 12-hour kidnapping ordeal.
Orchestrated Kidnapping on Oldham Estate
Manchester Crown Court heard how the 28-year-old victim was targeted on the Holts estate in Oldham on January 7 last year. Kimberley Green, 43, approached the woman in freezing conditions, claiming there was an "urgent call" for her and inviting her inside her Victoria Street home.
The court was told this marked the beginning of a coordinated attack that would leave the victim with lasting psychological trauma. Money lender Janzib Rigby, 30, who had previously lent the victim cash with extortionate interest, was called to the property along with associates Cody McGiffen, 18, and a 17-year-old boy who cannot be named for legal reasons. Marshall Atkinson, 18, arrived later at the scene.
Systematic Abuse and Degradation
Inside the property, the victim was subjected to systematic abuse. The 17-year-old boy Tasered her in the body, while Marshall Atkinson Tasered her in the face, head and body. Judge Sarah Johnson noted the pair were "guided by others" during this brutal treatment.
Green then took the woman upstairs where she conducted what the judge described as a "degrading" strip search, removing money the victim had concealed in her underwear. Meanwhile, Atkinson reportedly "bragged" in messages to others about his actions during the ordeal.
Moorland Terror and Police Intervention
The victim was subsequently moved to a second property on Wildmoor Avenue before being driven to Saddleworth Moor, where her captors told her she would be abandoned in the darkness. Judge Johnson told the defendants: "This was utter torment for her, and nothing more than sport for you."
Throughout the day, the victim's mother had contacted police after receiving a call from her daughter requesting money to secure her release. A police negotiator worked with the mother to track down the victim, ultimately intercepting the car transporting her back from the moors at approximately 11pm, ending her 12-hour captivity.
Lasting Psychological Damage
In a powerful victim impact statement read to the court, the woman described the profound psychological consequences of her ordeal. "I have spent three stints in mental health units since what happened," she revealed. "I suffer from complex PTSD as well as hallucinations and flashbacks."
The statement continued with heartbreaking detail: "I have tried to take my own life on five occasions. I can honestly say this is directly as a result of what happened to me. I think about it every day, every hour, every minute, the fear and humiliation that I suffered. I started to self harm. It is the only release I have to take my mind away from what happened."
Sentencing and Charges
Judge Johnson jailed Rigby for eight years, describing his "cold indifference" to his victim's suffering. Green received a five-year prison sentence for her role in the kidnapping.
The charges and outcomes were as follows:
- Janzib Rigby, 30, of Shaw, pleaded guilty to false imprisonment and two counts of kidnap, and was found guilty of robbery
- Kimberley Green, 43, of Victoria Street, Oldham, was found guilty of false imprisonment, robbery and kidnap
- Marshall Atkinson, 18, of Oldham, pleaded guilty to false imprisonment, possessing cannabis and possessing a prohibited weapon
- Cody McGiffen, 18, of Oldham, was found guilty of false imprisonment and kidnap, and pleaded guilty to a second count of kidnap
- A 17-year-old boy pleaded guilty to false imprisonment and possessing a prohibited weapon, and was found guilty of kidnap
Atkinson's sentencing was deferred for six months, while McGiffen received an 18-month community order and the 17-year-old was sentenced to a youth rehabilitation order.
Judge Johnson concluded by condemning the defendants' actions as "utterly inhumane treatment of a vulnerable member of your community," highlighting how what began as a simple deception escalated into hours of calculated torment that has left permanent psychological scars on the victim.
