Three men jailed after violent kidnap and assault in Holsworthy

Victim suffered serious head and leg fractures in planned hammer attack.

All three men were sentenced on Thursday 2 October.
Author: Emma SmithPublished 9th Oct 2025

Three men have been jailed for their part in a kidnap and brutal assault in Holsworthy last summer.

At Exeter Crown Court, Connor Stevens, 24, of Stanhope Close, Holsworthy, was sentenced to six and a half years for grievous bodily harm, robbery and possession of an offensive weapon.

Ryan Hawke, 33, from Castle Douglas in Scotland, was jailed for three and a half years for kidnap, while Kai Abbott, 26, of Morwenna Park Road, Bideford, received 15 months for affray.

The court heard that in June 2024, the victim was lured to a car park near Dunsland, where he was attacked by two masked men — including Stevens, who struck him several times with a claw hammer.

The victim was later found by a passer-by and treated in hospital for fractures to his head and legs.

Detective Constable Sam Jones said:

“The violence used in this pre-planned attack has no place on the streets of North Devon. The sentences show our commitment to justice and community safety.”

All three men were sentenced on Thursday 2 October.