Brutal Cambridge Kidnapper Jailed for Four Years
Vulnerable Victim Held Hostage and Beaten
A vulnerable man was lured to a Cambridge house where he was brutally attacked, held captive, and robbed. On 6 June 2023, Chemseddine Lahouel-Guettala, 35, launched a “prolonged and pre-meditated” attack that only ended when the victim, covered in blood, flagged down a passerby for help. He told the Good Samaritan he’d been kidnapped, beaten, and forced to hand over his money before managing a desperate escape.
Horror Details Emerge from Night Out Gone Wrong
- The victim told police he met two men at WT’s pub in Cambridge City Centre and went back to a house with them.
- Once inside, he was trapped, stamped on, and ordered to stay on the floor as he was forced to reveal his bank details.
- He was then bundled into a car and threatened with being taken to Barnwell, where he feared he would be killed and buried.
- He escaped from the vehicle and alerted a passerby, who called 999.
Forensics found blood at the scene, on a trainer, and in the sink. Hospital scans revealed the victim suffered a fractured, displaced right eye socket and swelling to the scalp and skull, leaving him with limited movement in that eye.
Fraud and Flight: Culprit Caught at Airport
Police traced £200 cash withdrawals from the victim’s account and a blocked fraudulent bank transfer intended for an account linked to Lahouel-Guettala. He was arrested at Luton Airport on 20 June while attempting to board a flight out of the country.
Despite denying the assault in police interviews, messages on his seized phone showed he tried to funnel £6,000 from the victim’s account into his own.
Swift Verdict and Jail Time
The trial at Peterborough Crown Court in November saw jurors convict Lahouel-Guettala of assault occasioning grievous bodily harm with intent, false imprisonment, and robbery after less than five hours of deliberation.
On Tuesday 17 February, the 35-year-old from Colville Road, Cambridge, was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison.
