Man guilty of child abduction bid at Hull Fair

A MAN has been found guilty of trying to abduct a little boy from Hull Fair.

Daniel Banasik, 28, grabbed the five-year-old boy, who was holding his mum's hand, at the fair last year.

The boy had been waiting with his mum as his stepdad went to buy him a toy bubble gun from a stall.

Banasik was seen to signal to a friend moments before he tried to grab the child.

Hull Crown Court heard he could have been working as part of an organised gang looking for children.

A jury yesterday took just 50 minutes to unanimously convict Banasik of attempted child abduction.

Banasik had approached the boy from behind and scooped him up by placing his hands under his armpits, lifting him off the ground.

The boy's mum grabbed her son's trousers and pulled him back, screaming at Banasik: "What are you doing?"

Banasik then placed the boy back on the ground and quickly walked away.

He was chased by the boy's stepdad and at least eight members of the public, until the police caught him.

The boy's mum wept when the guilt verdict was delivered.

"I'm just so pleased justice has been done," she said.

"He is in prison where he belongs – where he can't hurt any children.

"I hope he gets a long sentence.

"I will never forget what he has put us through. I just wanted to scream at him in court but I stayed calm."

The mum added she will never feel able to take her son to a fair or theme park again because of the ordeal.

Banasik is due to be sentenced today and has been told prison is inevitable.

The Honorary Recorder of Hull and the East Riding, Judge Michael Mettyear, said the case was very concerning and wanted time to reflect on the length of the sentence.

He said: "It seems to me there are some very worrying features of this case.

"I do not find this an easy sentence. I have to come to a decision about what the motive was."

The maximum sentence for the charge is seven years' imprisonment.

Witnesses saw Banasik with two other men prior the attempted snatch and claim he signalled to one man moments before targeting the boy.

They claim he was trying to walk in-between children and their parents to separate them.

During his trial, prosecutor Nigel Clive put it to Banasik: "The truth is you had no innocent reason to be there.

"You were trying to take a child.

"You were part of a plan that involved others to try to abduct a small boy.

"After your failed attempt to take the boy from his mother, you went down an alleyway to tell the people it had failed."

Banasik was arrested at the junction of Anlaby Road, west Hull, moments after the attempted snatch on October 12.

He was found with children's toys in his bag.

There were more toys at his home in Pendrill Street, west Hull.

The court heard Banasik came to the UK from Poland seven years ago and had been working in a bakery until he was made redundant.

• Parents tell of horror at child kidnap attempt