Ex-lover jailed for nurse's kidnap

A FORMER boyfriend who kidnapped a nurse after hiding in her car, leaving her fearing she would never see her family again, was jailed for 43 months yesterday.

Mark Boyle, 42, subjected the woman to an ordeal over three days, during which concerned hospital colleagues tried to contact her.

Boyle twice drove the victim to England after getting into her car outside a club in Midlothian, but, on his return to Edinburgh, police spotted the vehicle.

An officer approached the car, and when Boyle was out of earshot the shaking victim revealed she was being detained against her will.

A judge said it must have been "an extremely terrifying experience" for the woman. Judge John Morris, QC, told Boyle: "A prison sentence is inevitable here".

Boyle and the victim had separated about a month before the offence. Their relationship had lasted about 14 months.

Advocate depute Leanne Cross told the High Court in Edinburgh: "Around a week prior to the offence, she contacted the accused and told him that she wanted to end the relationship.

"In the days that followed, he (Boyle] contacted her regularly and it was clear that he was not at all happy about her decision, nor was he happy that she had met someone else."

Ms Cross added: "She has never experienced the kind of fear that she went through last year. The constant threat of physical violence she felt under during the abduction was terrifying. But it was the fear that she would never see her family again that she will never be able to forget or get over."

Ms Cross said the victim had been "a confident and outgoing individual", but now felt very anxious and wary of people.

Father-of-three Boyle, a satellite engineer, who was of no fixed abode at the time, admitted abducting the 35-year-old woman between 7 and 9 November last year and assaulting her after entering her unoccupied car and concealing himself in it.

Ms Cross said that on 6 November the woman parked her car at Danderhall Miners Club before going to a party, leaving the vehicle in the car park overnight. She returned to collect her car the following day.

"She was completely unaware that anyone was in the car and so she got into the driver's seat, started the car and began to drive out of the car park. As she did so, the accused lunged forward from the back of the car and ordered her to 'f***ing drive'," said the prosecutor.

She said the woman was terrified and froze, before getting into a passenger seat, while Boyle climbed into the driver's seat and set off.

"The victim was extremely upset and asked him why he was doing this, but he provided no reason at that time," she said.

Boyle then drove almost all the way to London, before returning to the Edinburgh area.He later drove to Newcastle and booked into a hotel.

On 9 November, they returned to Edinburgh and Boyle pulled over at a fish and chip shop. Police spotted the registration number and investigated.

"The officer's first impression of the victim was that she was terrified and shaking," said Ms Cross. When Boyle was interviewed, he continually broke down and said she had voluntarily agreed to go away with him.

Defence solicitor advocate John Scott said Boyle was "in a state of turmoil at the time".