A PRINT worker who kidnapped a 17-year-old girl and forced her to perform a sex act has been jailed for four-and-a-half years.

Matthew Fowler subjected the victim to an eight-hour ordeal in his car before returning her to Bromsgrove.

She believed he was going to rape her after a threat to "punish" her, but instead made her carry out a sex act before agreeing to free her, William Rickarby, prosecuting, told Worcester Crown Court.

The abduction happened after the 21-year-old, who turned to drink in a debt crisis, beat up the same girl and then drove his Fiat at her as two friends were escorting her home.

Fowler, of Villiers Road, Charford, Bromsgrove, admitted false imprisonment, affray, common assault, indecent assault, dangerous driving, and drink-driving.

Recorder Douglas Readings said he caused terror to the teenager and made her indulge in "a revolting act".

The court heard that Fowler, who had no previous convictions, grabbed the girl by the throat outside a Bromsgrove pub and banged her head on a wall.

In Worcester Road, he drove his car on to the pavement as the trio walked home.

One youth hit the windscreen and landed on his back. But he only suffered minor injuries.

Mr Rickarby said Fowler was prosecuted and was due to appear in court on March 28 last year. But on the same day he persuaded the girl to get into his car.

The terror trip went as far as Weston-super-Mare before Fowler stopped near a village.

"He got offensive, called her a bitch, and said she had to be punished," said Mr Rickarby. After forcing her into the sex act he agreed to drive her back.

Brian Dean, defending, said it was impossible to fathom what went wrong with a man who was highly thought of in his job and had no history of criminal behaviour.

But a psychiatrist diagnosed he was suffering from depression at the time and he felt suicidal.

Mr Dean said his respectable family was shocked and ashamed. Fowler intended to leave the area when he was released.

The defendant dismissed claims that he had acted in revenge to punish the girl for being charged over the first incident.

But Recorder Readings added: "I suspect the underlying motive was to punish. You subjected this poor woman to oppression by fear, which maybe is worse than physical violence."

He ordered the defendant to register as a sex offender for five years.