Preacher guilty of kidnapping

A FEDERAL jury in the US has convicted a former street preacher of kidnapping Elizabeth Smart more than eight years ago.

The verdict reached yesterday finally brought justice for Smart and her family after the ordeal that began when Brian David Mitchell took her from her home at knifepoint and held her captive for nine months when she was 14.

Now 23, Smart testified during the five-week trial in Salt Lake City that she was forced into a polygamous marriage and endured near daily rapes.

The jury found Mitchell guilty of kidnapping and unlawful transportation of a minor across state lines for the purposes of illegal sex.

Each charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.

The case tugged at hearts around the US ever since the Utah teenager was snatched from her bedroom and resurfaced nine months later.

Mitchell could face up to a life in prison when he is sentenced.

Smart provided gripping testimony, describing how she woke up one night to the feel of a cold, jagged knife and being thrust into “nine months of hell” in a mountainside camp.

The case was delayed for years after Mitchell was declared mentally incompetent to stand trial in state court. Federal prosecutors stepped in and took the case to trial.