A middle-aged bank manager who arranged to meet a teenage prostitute was robbed at knifepoint and bundled into a car boot by her two accomplices, a court heard.

The accomplices have been jailed for a total of 12 years, but the £200 to £300 a night call girl, from York, is on the run.

She failed to give evidence as the main prosecution witness in the trial of robber Kevin Joseph Castle.

All three were caught after their plans to rob the bank manager from outside York were recorded on his mobile phone answer service, York Crown Court heard.

The 17-year-old prostitute set up the lay-by meeting with her middle-aged client, said Martin Rudland, prosecuting,

Castle and the prostitute's boyfriend, Jason Francis Smith, then robbed him of his wedding ring at knifepoint and imprisoned him in the boot of his car where he spent hours in the dark, at times gasping for breath.

He was forced to give the PIN number of his "high quality" credit and debit cards so the robbers could use "hole in the wall" machines to raid his accounts.

Castle later raided the accounts again. In total, the robbers took £1,500. Castle spent his share in days, buying clothes and playing fruit machines.

Once the bank man heard a voice from Castle's friends saying "we're going to torch him" and heard a dog sniffing around, said Mr Rudland.

During his ordeal, Castle drove the man from York to Scarborough and back.

Castle, 22, formerly of York and Scarborough, was jailed for seven years. Smith, 21, of Drake House flats, Woolnough Avenue, Tang Hall, got five years.

Judge Jonathan Crabtree said: "It is a nasty story."

He added: "It is perfectly clear that both of you thought that because he was going to see a prostitute, he would not say anything to the police and would not dare to say anything because his wife might find out."

Smith and the 17-year-old had admitted robbery and false imprisonment on an earlier occasion. Smith was on probation for burglary at the time.

The prostitute should have given evidence yesterday but did not arrive at court.

After a warrant was issued for her arrest, Castle then admitted robbery and false imprisonment.

Both men have long records.

Mr Rudland said the bank employee had contacted the girl after reading her advertisement in a national newspaper.

He had already had one session with her and was planning dinner with her on March 2 before the robbery.

But when the men learnt about the meet, they told her not to go and went instead.

Mitigating for Castle, Robert Collins said he was an impetuous man who was angry that men were using his friend's girlfriend for sex.He had had a difficult childhood, including a spell in care and used amphetamines.

Mitigating for Smith, Abdul Iqbal said he had wanted to have a relationship with the call-girl but her prostitution caused problems between them.

He was a heroin user and needed money for drug debts.

The court heard Smith had originally treated the robbery plan as a joke.

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