JACK AIRENS AND CHASE JOHNSTONE FROM ABERDEEN FACE COURT OVER BRUTAL ABDUCTION AND RANSOM DEMAND

Two young men from Aberdeen narrowly escaped serving time in prison after being involved in a harrowing incident that included kidnapping, assault, and public humiliation of a man, followed by a ransom demand directed at his distressed mother. Jack Airens and Chase Johnstone, both aged 20, admitted to their roles in the disturbing events, which they believed were motivated by a debt owed by the victim.

According to court proceedings, the two men, along with an unidentified accomplice, forcibly abducted the victim from Peterhead and transported him to an address in Aberdeen. There, they subjected him to a series of violent acts, including physical assaults and emotional torment. One particularly humiliating act involved shaving half of the victim’s hair, an act that was recorded and later shared on Snapchat, further adding to the trauma experienced by the victim.

The court heard that during the ordeal, the victim was punched and kicked, suffering visible bruises, cuts, and scratches. The police intervened after the incident, discovering the victim in a distressed state with injuries consistent with the assault. The attackers also made contact with the victim’s mother, demanding a ransom payment in exchange for her son’s safety. Court records indicate that Airens and Johnstone called her directly, instructing her to pay the demanded sum to secure her son’s release.

Both defendants pleaded guilty to charges of abduction and robbery. In their defense, the court considered their age and apparent immaturity, which influenced the decision to impose community-based sentences rather than immediate imprisonment. Sheriff Wallace emphasized the seriousness of the crime but also acknowledged the young age of the offenders, opting for supervised probation and unpaid work commitments as an appropriate punishment in this case.