Bungling gang gave cyclist £20 after abducting him by mistake

A GANG of robbers bundled a cyclist into their car before setting him free and giving him £20 after apparently realising they had abducted the wrong man.

- BY ADAM EVERETT

The victim was snatched from the street by a team of masked men armed with weapons including an axe and a wrench.

Having stolen £500 from him in spite of his mistaken identity, they then handed him £20 back to pay for a taxi so that he could retrieve his abandoned bike.

Drug dealer Joseph Waters, the bungling gang’s driver, has now been put behind bars for more than a decade following his arrest at an airport more than two years on from the terrifying incident.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that Jack Haycock left his home and went out on his bike at around 9.30pm on September 29, 2022, with his journey seeing him cross the Bridgewater Expressway while heading in the direction of Runcorn.

When he stopped at one stage in order to change the music that he was listening to, he heard a shout and saw four males in balaclavas running towards him.

Michael O'Brien, prosecuting, described how one of these men was armed with an axe, while another pointed a wrench towards the victim and shouted “you”.

Mr Haycock dropped his bike and ran into a nearby car park as a result but slipped as his assailants gave chase and was grabbed from behind. He was then dragged towards a silver Volvo S60 car, which was registered and insured to Waters. The 28-year-old, of Abbeyvale Drive in Belle Vale, was also said to have acted as the driver of the vehicle during the robbery.

The gang then removed Mr Haycock’s face covering, at which stage one of them remarked “it’s not Ryan”. He was then bundled into the rear passenger's side and ordered to direct them to his house.

When he told them that he only had £500, he was punched to the head and face as one of the robbers said: “He's lying. He's got more money. You must have more money. Your mate drives a nice car.”