A former soldier who claimed he was kidnapped and forced to sell drugs has been jailed for four months after he failed to give evidence against his alleged attackers.

A judge told Tariq Saleem that he had been guilty of serious contempt of court despite hearing that the 27-year-old was worried about possible reprisals against his family.

Saleem, who served in the Prince of Wales Regiment for two or three months before requesting a discharge, was allegedly attacked in the autumn of 2003.

During yesterday's hearing prosecutor Francis Radcliffe indicated that police had found corroboration for his account.

Mr Radcliffe said that police had photographs of Saleem's injuries and found traces of drugs at houses he had mentioned and some of his blood on a broken broomstick.

Saleem failed to turn up at Bradford Crown Court last November when the trial of two men charged with kidnap and conspiracy to supply drugs was due to start. The following month he was served with a witness summons to attend in February. But the court heard yesterday that Saleem flew to Pakistan in January and although he said he had intended to come back in time for the trial he did not turn up.

A warrant was issued for his arrest and he appeared before the Honorary Recorder of Bradford Judge Stephen Gullick yesterday to explain why he had disobeyed the witness summons.

Barrister Martin Robertshaw, for Saleem, said it was not a case of him having a cavalier attitude or being bought off, but that he was very scared.

"This is clearly a case here of a young man frightened of the consequences to his family," he said.

After Saleem failed to come to court the case against the men was abandoned in February.

Judge Gullick said it had clearly been in the public interest for the trial to have taken place.

"Whether it would have produced a conviction is neither here nor there,'' he told Saleem. "You and others must understand that if you are a witness in a criminal case it is your duty to attend court.

"This is a clear case of contempt and in those circumstances it must be marked by a sentence of imprisonment.