Man found guilty in connection with kidnap at golf club

A man has been found guilty today (Friday 19 April) in connection with the kidnapping of a wealthy businessman from Brocket Hall Golf Club, near Welwyn Garden City.

Tianfu Guo, aged 35, of no fixed abode, was found guilty of the following offences at St Albans Crown Court:

• Conspiracy to kidnap
• Conspiracy to blackmail

He was found not guilty of conspiracy to possess an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

The jury heard that at around 4.10pm on Tuesday 24 October 2023, the victim was playing golf when he was approached by a group of men who pointed a pistol at him and bundled him into a black Audi Q7. Three people who were with the victim had a substance sprayed at their faces.

The vehicle, which was on cloned plates, sped off and the police were called. An immediate police investigation was then launched by the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, to find the victim safe and arrest those responsible.

Fast-time police enquiries saw Guo located in central London the following night. He had driven to the Chinatown area, where he was arrested at 9.41pm. An SD card which was recovered from his vehicle showed surveillance video footage of the victim.

Just over an hour after Guo’s arrest, the victim was released. He had been held captive in a holiday home that his captors had rented in Thursley, Surrey.

When he arrived at the property, the captors had demanded a ransom of 15 million dollars to be paid in bitcoin.

During his ordeal, the victim was kept in a cage. The cage was so small that the victim could not stand up or stretch his legs out. He was not allowed to use the toilet and he was only allowed to eat a little – some dried beef and biscuits on the day he was taken, and an apple and milk the next day.

Several hours after being put into the cage, the captors began to assault the victim by hitting his leg with an object.

When he was released, he was led to a vehicle and driven for about 90 minutes to Cobham in Surrey. He was told not to go home or alert the police. The safety of his family was threatened if he disobeyed the instructions.

After taking some moments to adjust to his freedom, the victim knocked on the front door of the closest house he could find and asked for help. The resident helped him to call a taxi to get back home. When the victim arrived back, the police were already at his property and he was taken to hospital. He had injuries to his eyes after being punched by his captors and blindfolded tight.

Detective Inspector Justine Jenkins, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, said: “I am glad that the jury have reached this decision today. It continues to be a complex and challenging case and our officers were working around the clock to find the victim safe. He was put through a traumatic ordeal and he has been supported by our specially trained officers. I hope that today’s result goes some way in helping him to recover from his ordeal.”

Guo will be sentenced on Thursday 25 April.