Fifth man charged over Rutherford Hotel carpark kidnapping

Police allege a man was bundled into a vehicle in a Hunter pub’s carpark and held for 40 hours where he was drugged, stabbed and bashed before being dumped 40km away. Read the latest.

Police allege a man was kidnapped following a meeting at the Rutherford Hotel carpark in February. Picture: Google Maps.

A fifth man has been charged over the alleged violent kidnapping of a man during an early morning meeting in a pub carpark before he was held for 40 hours and dumped on a country road.

Strike Force Halule detectives allege the 38-year-old man was bashed, stabbed and drugged during the 40-hour kidnapping in February.

The investigation began after the man was found suffering serious injuries on the side of a road at Greta, in the Lower Hunter, on February 28.

He was treated by paramedics before being rushed to Maitland Hospital for treatment of facial injuries, bruising, lacerations and a stab wound to the leg.

Detectives allege the man was forced into a car following a meeting in the Rutherford Hotel carpark the previous day, before he was taken to a premises at Metford where he was drugged and bashed before being dumped 40km away.

Three men, aged 26, 35 and 53, were taken into custody during separate arrests in July and August.

The man was due to face Belmont Local Court on Friday. (File picture: Google street view).

The trio, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, remain before the courts.

A fourth man, who was also arrested in July, has since died in jail from a medical episode. His death is not being treated as suspicious.

Following further inquiries by detectives, a fifth man was arrested on Main Rd, Cardiff, about 3.40pm on Thursday.

The 29-year-old was taken to Belmont police station where he was charged with kidnap in company with intent serious indictable occasion actual bodily harm.

He was refused police bail to appear before Belmont Local Court on Friday.