AN ENGLISH man who planned to kidnap his former lover and bring her back to London in the boot of a car was jailed yesterday for seven years by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Raymond Brown also planned to have the Dublin woman's home burned down by an accomplice if she did not cooperate.
His plan was foiled by what, Mr Maurice Gaffney SC, prosecuting, called "the good police nose" of patrolling gardai who found the intended victim's name and address with the words "judgment day" marked for November 25th, 1996 in a filofax in Brown's car.
Judge Kevin Haugh described Brown as an "extraordinary threat to women" and said the victim showed great courage in refusing Brown's will.
Earlier, Det Sgt Kelvin Retallick, of London Metropolitan Police, described how Brown imprisoned another former lover for a week - during which time he also married her.
When their relationship broke down again he poured petrol over her and set her on fire, beat her with an iron bar and told her he was bringing her to the woods to kill her because she threatened to leave him.
Brown (31), a carpenter, of Stanway Street, Hoxton, London, pleaded guilty to conspiring with Craig Ferrigi to falsely imprison the woman on November 24th and 25th, 1996.
Mr Gaffney said the woman escaped from Brown in London only after her mother secretly sent her an air ticket. Brown had made many phone calls to her asking her to return to him with threats to injure her and her family unless she did.
While she was in Beaumont Hospital for surgery, he visited her every day, again with constant threats that unless she returned she and her family could suffer by having their home burned down.
The woman made it clear she had no intention of returning and believed he had decided to forget about her when he went back to London, said counsel.
Del Sgt Martin Connolly said Brown returned to Ireland with Ferrigi last November 24th. Previously, he had observed her movements and discovered she would go to a certain post office every Monday.
He planned to meet her there last November 25th to persuade her to return to him. Ferrigi was to wait nearby in a car and if she failed to comply he would bundle her into this car and kidnap her.
If the kidnap plan failed, Ferrigi was to stay in Ireland and burn her house down a week later at a time when her family would be home.
Det Sgt Connolly said he and his colleagues, Det Garda Dave Kavanagh and Det Garda Philip Ryan questioned Brown and Ferrigi whom they saw at a red BMW in Marlborough Street on the night of November 24th.
A search of the car revealed a knife, a scalpel, petrol cans, a balaclava, and a filofax.
Brown said he was looking for the Dublin woman but when gardai found her name and address in the filofax and telephoned the house, the woman answered and it became clear Brown was not telling the truth.
Mr Anthony Sammon SC, defending, said there had been a romantic intent on behalf of Brown towards the victim.
Ferrigi (21), Carysfort Road, Stoke Newington, London, was given a 10 year suspended sentence last May 15th when he admitted his role in the crime. Judge Cyril Kelly ordered him to leave the State and not to return.