Italian court finds man guilty of kidnapping British model

An Italian court today found a Polish man guilty of kidnapping British model Chloe Ayling in July 2017.

The court in Milan sentenced Polish national Lucasz Herba to 16 years and nine months in prison for abducting Ayling and holding her against her will.

The victim -- who was 20 years old at the time -- claimed to have been drugged and kidnapped after being lured to Milan on the false promise of attending a fashion shoot.

She was taken to a remote mountain village where she was kept for almost a week before Herba drove her back to Milan and released her near the British consulate.

She claims she was told she had been kidnapped by an organised gang and would be auctioned off online as a sex slave.

Herba's defence said that the model had organised the kidnapping with the Pole as a publicity stunt to boost her professional career.

The judges recognised the British model's right to compensation, the amount of which will be determined at a later date, according to the Italian media.