Jilted husband tried to kidnap his estranged wife after hiding in the back of her car when she told him she was leaving him
She noticed something was not right after smelling he ex-husband's aftershave in the car
A JILTED husband who had previously set fire to an ex-partner's house tried to kidnap his wife by hiding in the back of her car when she told him she was leaving him.
Colin French, 42, curled up inside the boot of wife Sharon's car and waited for her to leave work.
Mrs French told police French had subjected her to emotional, physical and psychological abuse throughout their marriage after their wedding in 2004.
She decided to leave him after she worked out he had blocked a number of people in her mobile phone.
He told the court during his hearing he simply wanted to speak with her and find out why the relationship was ending.
As she got into the car she noticed the car was a little steamed up and after getting into the driver's seat, realised she could smell her ex-husband's aftershave.
Leaving the engine running, she got out of the car and opened her boot, to find French inside.
Mrs French, 34, screamed for help after French jumped out of the car and began chasing her.
Cambridge Crown Court heard how Mrs French was frightened for her life, thinking she was going to be kidnapped and killed by the man she had married.
While running away from French she fell to the ground and he grabbed her, before dragging her away towards the part of the car park that was in darkness.
She told the court it looked like he had a knife in his hand.
A colleague heard Mrs French's screams and rushed to help, pushing French off of her, before he ran off and left in her car.
Cambridge Crown Court heard how French committed the offence while on a life licence following a period of almost six years in prison back in 2006 after he set fire to an ex-partner's home after their relationship ended.
He was arrested a day after he had hidden in Mrs French's boot on November 4, last year when officers found him in a pub car park in Grantchester, a village near Cambridge.
He was charged with attempted kidnap, taking a vehicle without the owner's consent and possessing a bladed article in a public place.
Additional charges also included with burglary after officers found evidence of him purchasing an angle grinder, masking tape, cable ties, a hacksaw and a drill, which he used to break into his estranged wife's home.
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He then stole her spare set of car keys and wedding rings before making his way to her place of work.
French pleaded guilty to three out of four of the charges, but denied attempting to kidnap his ex-wife, claiming all he wanted to do was speak to her and get answers as to why their relationship had ended.
French was found guilty of attempted kidnapping following a three-day trial at Cambridge Crown Court and on Friday, was jailed for four years.
He was also disqualified from driving for five years and his car was confiscated.
Sentencing French, the judge described him as 'posing a significant risk to future partners in times of relationship breakdown', which could have 'fatal consequences' and that his actions were 'premeditated and sinister'.
As he committed the offence while on life-licence, French will not be released from prison until a parole board deems him to no longer be a threat to any member of the public.
Detective Constable Paul Atkinson, from the Domestic Abuse Investigation and Safeguarding Unit (DAISU), said: "French is an extremely dangerous individual who will spend a considerable amount of time behind bars.
"Sharon has shown great bravery in not only contacting police, but walking away from what was years of abuse - this is not an easy thing to do, and unfortunately many people, both men and women, continue to suffer in silence.
"I would encourage anyone who is in an abusive relationship to speak with someone, it doesn't have to be the police; telling just one person could be the first step to getting yourself out of the abusive situation."
PC Dave Tee said: "In over 25 years of policing, this was one of the most potentially dangerous domestic abuse related incidents that I have ever dealt with.
"From the information that I was passed, we were dealing with and looking for an extremely dangerous individual with serious intentions of causing significant, if not fatal, harm to his wife."
Anyone who is a sufferer of domestic abuse is encouraged to speak to someone, and to make contact with police.
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