Fantasist Webber convinced Laura Chapman they had to flee across southern England

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Webber was jailed for nine years after admitting kidnap, causing ­grievous bodily harm, making threats to kill and criminal damage.

She was so terrified during her week-long ordeal that she wrote a “goodbye” note to her family and, when police found her, she begged: “Am I safe?”

Webber, 41, brainwashed the 26-year-old by telling her she too was to be recruited by the secret ­intelligence service.

Fantasist Stephen Webber convinced Laura Chapman they had to flee across southern England to escape a hitman called Efjania.

She was so terrified during her week-long ordeal that she wrote a “goodbye” note to her family

Richard Barton, prosecuting, des­cribed the defendant as “intelligent and plausible” and said the case was one of “kidnapping by fraud”.

He told Hove Crown Court, West Sussex, Miss Chapman approached Webber last year with a view to having pictures taken for a portfolio.

But he immediately made her watch the television spy drama Spooks as part of her “training” at a friend’s house in Portslade, East Sussex.

Webber lied to her, saying it was a safe house, before putting her in its “interrogation room”, blindfolded and tied to a chair.

The court was told that over the next six days, he took her to a string of hotels, telling her a series of ­increasingly elaborate lies.

Webber twice stabbed Miss Chapman so she suffered scratches, tried to strangle her, pushed her and lied to her boyfriend and family.

He also told her they had been deliberately infected with a killer virus and she was so convinced she wrote the farewell letter. Mr Barton said: “The contents would be laughable if she did not absolutely believe it.”

Webber staged imaginary phone chats with contacts at MI5. “He talked about ‘shooting to kill’,” said Mr Barton.

“He collapsed on the ground in shock on hearing that colleagues had been killed. She was terrified.”

The pair were in woodland in Eastbourne discussing a plan to fake Miss Chapman’s death and send the photos to Efjania when they heard police sirens. Miss Chapman’s first words were: “Are you police? Am I safe? Why have you not found me until now? I have not slept for five days.”

After sentencing, Det Insp Mick Jones said: “The victim was too afraid to attempt to escape.”