A gasman who attacked and kidnapped a rough sleeper - by ordering him into the back of a Transit van - has avoided jail.

Jack Pullen and his friend offered Gavin Reeves a place to stay after spotting him outside Co-Op in Herne Bay, battling the winter cold.

Mr Reeves was put up in a caravan in Prospect Farm in Thornden Woods - but when he tried to leave, Pullen kidnapped him.

A judge on Thursday ordered the 25-year-old gas engineer to “grow up” after handing down a suspended prison sentence at Canterbury Crown Court.

Mr Reeves stayed inside the mobile home off Thornden Wood Road from December 12, deciding to leave about five days later.

After packing up some belongings and walking for about 200 yards, Mr Reeves noticed a Ford Transit was following him.

Ben Wild, prosecuting, said the van “made a hard stop”, with Pullen, of Hersden near Canterbury, saying: “Where are you going? Come with me, come with me.”

He then punched and threatened Mr Reeves, who climbed into the back of the van while feeling intimidated, the court heard.

After Pullen and Jordan Telfer drove for about 200 yards, Mr Reeves was allowed to exit the vehicle.

Pullen gave a no comment police interview but admitted kidnap at an early opportunity on Thursday.

Facing the same charge, Mr Telfer, 22, and of Thornden Wood, appeared in the dock alongside Pullen during the case management hearing.

But the allegations against him were quashed after the Crown Prosecution Service offered no evidence.

“Put this sorry episode behind you and grow up a little...”

The court heard Mr Reeves suffered “no lasting injuries” having been kidnapped for the relatively short distance of 200 yards.

Max Reeves, mitigating for Pullen, said he was a hard-working father who entered an early guilty plea, with few previous convictions.

Judge Simon Taylor KC told Pullen: “By your basis of plea, you accept you committed the technical offence of kidnap.”

He said although Pullen took his victim’s liberty away for only 200 yards, “it was kidnap” which is a “very serious offence”.

Handing down 16 months, suspended for two years, Judge Taylor said: “You must not commit any criminal offence during the two-year period."

“Put this sorry episode behind you and grow up a little,” he added.

Pullen, of South View, who could be seen nodding his head in the dock, was also ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work, and to pay £800 court costs.

He admitted one count of kidnap, in which he “unlawfully and by force took or carried away Gavin Reeves against his will”.