Thugs admit abducting teenage Rangers players

Ryan Moore, 23, and Paul Hislen, 24, bundled Hutton, 19, and 18-year-old Naismith into the back of Hutton's Audi A3 opposite the Omni Centre in Edinburgh, where the teenagers had been with friends. Moore then drove the pair through the city before dumping them in the Niddrie area.

The young starlets were left without all their cash, driving licences and mobiles, an iPhone 4 and a Blackberry. Moore and a third identified man made off in Hutton's 17,000 Audi which was later recovered.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard both Moore and Hislen were on licence from prison at the time of the offence, Moore for assault and Hislen for drugs.

Sheriff John Horsburgh QC today jailed Moore for 40 months and 10 days. He remitted Hislen to the High Court to see if he will be recalled to prison for the drugs offence. He will be sentenced for the abduction case next month.

Fiscal depute Graeme Jessop said midfielder Hutton and striker Naismith had travelled from their homes in Glasgow to visit a female friend in Edinburgh and had pulled up outside Giuliano's takeaway at Union Place. As Naismith, capped at youth level for Scotland, stood chatting to the girl Moore and Hislen, who were strangers to them, approached and Hislen offered to buy Hutton's car to which Hutton said: "No you're alright".

Mr Jessop said: "Hislen thereafter stated 'Give us the car or get in the boot.' Hutton told the accused to leave him alone to which Hislen replied 'If you don't get in the back right now I'm going to stab the f*** out of yous' and 'Get in the back I'm gonna shoot you. Get in the back I'm gonna kill you'." The pair were both then bundled into the back and Moore drove off. Hislen got out around ten minutes later and another man, who has not been traced, got in. Moore again drove off and told the teenagers the car was now his.

"The untraced man demanded that Hutton and Naismith hand over identification and their mobile phones. They displayed their driving licences to which the untraced male said: "Don't forget that I know where you live" and "We're coming through to Glasgow and we're killing your family."

Moore then pulled the car into a side track and the unidentified man asked the pair to hand over cash. Naismith gave him a 100 note and the players were then released. The court heard they ran away through Duddingston Golf Course and climbed a fence into Hay's Community Centre at Craigmillar. They then called the police from a phone box. Hislen was spotted later while the pair helped police find him and Moore handed himself in.

Mr Jessop added: "Neither Hutton nor Naismith was physically injured as a result of their ordeal. However both were terrified during the course of this incident and a police officer described them as being obviously "shaken up" by it."

Moore and Hislen, both of Edinburgh Prison, admitted carrying out the offence on September 20 this year at Union Place, Niddrie Mains Road, Edinburgh, and elsewhere.

Defence agent Colm Dempsey for Moore said: "He had been in town that evening for a family dinner and met up with Hislen. It had not been a pre-meditated incident and started with appreciation of the complainer's vehicle. This is a matter of significant regret and he accepts it is a serious matter and would have been a distressing incident for the two youths concerned."

Solicitor advocate Stuart Carson for Hislen said: "He had been in the city all night and was drinking and was in a very drunk condition. He had initially seen this vehicle, admired it and it would appear the start of the incident was a drunken attempt by him to purchase the vehicle. Unfortunately that turned ugly very quickly.

"It is accepted by Hislen that his conduct in this matter was disgraceful. He is at a loss to explain why he acted the way he did. After some ten minutes in the vehicle he decided he did not want to be involved further and got out. He accepts fully that his actions and what happened to these two young men must have been very frightening indeed for them. He had no idea who they were."