Suffolk Man Jailed For False Imprisonment

A Lowestoft man has been jailed for over five years for false imprisonment and three assaults on emergency workers.

A Lowestoft man has been jailed for over five years for false imprisonment and three assaults on emergency workers.

33 year old Andrew Reilly of Notley Road in Lowestoft appeared before Ipswich Crown Court on Thursday (27th January 2022).  He was given an extended sentence of 8 years and 4 months imprisonment, with a custodial term of 5 years and 4 months and an extended licence of 3 years for offences of false imprisonment and three assaults on emergency workers.

It follows an incident on 12 March 2021 when the victim, a male aged 27, phoned police on 999 saying a man was trying to stab him. Officers met the victim at Lowestoft police station and he gave officers an account of how Reilly had entered the bedroom of the victim by a downstairs open window on 12 March. The victim was then assaulted and threatened with a knife over a drug debt of around £220 and then forced to leave the property with Reilly. The victim was taken to a property on Reeve Street where further threats were made with a knife before he was taken to another address on Jacobs Street. The pair then left that address with Reilly stating he was going to force the victim to commit a robbery to get the money Reilly was after. It was when they were walking that the victim made his escape.

Reilly was arrested  at 1pm on Friday 12th March following a report to the ambulance service that an assault at that address had taken place, where Reilly was the victim. It is whilst police and paramedics attend that Reilly assaulted two police officers by spitting at them and kicking a paramedic. He was subsequently charged and remanded in custody. DI Matt Adams of Lowestoft CID said: “This attack was against a vulnerable individual who was known to the defendant. The victim in this case was targeted by Reilly over a debt he considered the victim to be responsible for. During the ordeal Reilly subjected the victim to violence, threatened him with a knife and took him from one property to another where he was further detained against his will. Thankfully the victim was able to escape and sought immediate assistance from the police.

“I commend the victim for his courage in coming forward and seeing this through to the end. Reilly is a violent bully who thought he could offend without repercussion, he didn’t plead guilty until the day his trial was due to commence, no doubt hoping the victim would be too afraid to give evidence. Reilly is no stranger to jail but I am glad to see him back behind bars where he can no longer cause upset in the community.”