A MAN has been cleared of kidnapping and wounding another man after the alleged victim stopped working with police.

Wayne Simon Illingworth, 30, has spent months on charges which could have put him behind bars for years.

But the case collapsed when the Crown Prosecution Service told York Crown Court it didn’t have enough evidence to try him.

Mr Illingworth was charged in September after York police received reports of several incidents several miles apart which detectives linked together.

A man in his forties was allegedly stabbed and forced into a vehicle in Lowfields Drive, Acomb.

In separate incidents, a car was seen burning near a pumping station off Clifton Park Avenue, Rawcliffe, and police appealed for witnesses to an alleged disturbance involving a group of people and a silver Vauxhall Zafira in Askham Bryan.

Two people besides Mr Illingworth were arrested – a 26-year-old man on suspicion of kidnap and assault, and a 32-year-old woman on suspicion of perverting the course of justice. Both were bailed and neither has since been sent to court.

Mr Illingworth, of Chapelfields Road, Acomb, protested his innocence and the Crown Prosecution Service initially had until December 9 to provide enough evidence to satisfy the crown court that there was a case for him to answer.

It failed to do so and the Recorder of York, Judge Stephen Ashurst gave it a deadline, by which it had to provide more evidence.

When the case returned to court seven weeks later, prosecution barrister Aisha Wadoodi said: “There isn’t evidence the Crown can put in the matter.”

Defence solicitor advocate Mark Partridge asked for the case to be dismissed for lack of evidence. The prosecution did not object.

“These two charges are dismissed,” said Judge Ashurst.

But he warned Mr Illingworth: “If evidence does emerge, the Crown can restart proceedings.”

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said: “Allegations of kidnap or abduction are extremely rare and are taken very seriously by North Yorkshire Police. The available information, intelligence and evidence gathered or expected to materialise from inquiries at the time such allegations are made and after, are tested by both CPS and in some cases a judge where applications for bail follow.

“In this case, both were applicable, with the case meeting the CPS threshold test for a charging decision and the crown court authorising further detention after being satisfied with the investigation and the ongoing lines of inquiry that were expected to yield further evidence.

“As it transpired, that evidence did not materialise as expected and this, together with the alleged victim’s choice not to co-operate further with the prosecution case led to today’s decision.”

Because the case was dismissed for lack of evidence, Mr Illingworth was not asked to plead to either charge. He first appeared in court on September 28.