A man and a woman have been jailed for eight years for false imprisonment at an Essex address.

The victim was invited to Sonya Khan’s home in Armistice Avenue, Chelmsford, on Friday February 19 2021, arriving just before midnight.

The couple chatted for a short time before Lukasz Paradowski emerged from another room in the property and the victim was assaulted.

Demands were made for £10,000 from the victim.

The victim handed over his bank card and Paradowski left the address in an attempt to withdraw cash, leaving the victim with Sonya Khan.

But he was unable to escape the property as all the doors and windows were locked.

When Paradowski returned empty-handed, he assaulted the victim causing facial and head injuries which required medical treatment.

The victim’s ordeal lasted over two hours.

Upon his release, the victim drove his car to a Boreham garage where a good Samaritan found him and called for help. The victim was treated for his injuries by ambulance colleagues in situ.

Just hours later, the pair were arrested in the early hours of Saturday February 20 2021.

The pair were charged and remanded in custody to appear at Colchester Magistrates’ Court on Monday February 22 2021 where they both denied the charges.

Sonya Khan, now 30, and Lukasz Paradowski, now 38, both of Armistice Avenue, Springfield, stood trial at Chelmsford Crown Court and on November 28 both were jailed for eight years each after they were found guilty of false imprisonment.

Lukasz Paradowski was further sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment for GBH with intent and eight years jail for robbery. He will serve a total of 11 years.

Detective Sergeant Edward Bishop, leading the investigation, said: “This was a lengthy, brutal attack by a man and a woman who claimed to be the victim’s friend.

“Khan and Paradowski showed no mercy in their behaviour towards the victim, forcing him to endure two hours at their hands.

“They have been rightly jailed after a jury of their peers found them guilty.

“The victim has thanked myself and DS Hogan-Davis for our work on this case, alongside that of the CPS, to secure justice for him.”