A man has denied being the 'inside man' in a kidnap and torture plot. Shaun Freeman is accused of giving information to a group that snatched a man before taking him to a lock-up and burning and Tasering him, jurors have previously heard.
On Wednesday (April 24), the 29-year-old told trial jurors: "I would never do something like that." Mr Freeman, prosecutors allege, provided information prior to the incident, including the man's car registration.
Also on trial is co-accused Delroy Chin, 47, who is alleged to have put trackers on the victim's car. Jurors have heard the group found the man outside a barbershop in Hale, Trafford.
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Jurors previously heard six men have been convicted of conspiracy to kidnap - Micah Walfall, 39, of no fixed address; Daniel Lowe, 32, of Greenwood Road, Northampton; Ben Ukaegbu, 42, of no fixed address; John Bishop, 35, of Stanley Road, Chingford, London; Nicky Barnes, 31, of Byfield Road, Northampton; and Michael Etuhu, 39, of Abbeycroft Close, Tyldesley, Bury.
The man, jurors have heard, was 'arrested' by three men posing as plain-clothes police officers in April 2019. He was taken to a lock-up where he was tortured, prosecutors have told Manchester Crown Court.
His arms were singed with a blowtorch and his testicles Tasered, jurors have heard, and £500,00 ransom demands were made to his family. Police were called and the kidnappers were intercepted after 12 hours, the court has been told.
Giving evidence, Mr Freeman denied he was involved in the plot. His barrister Nick Cockrell said: "The prosecution case is you were involved in a gang, who were involved in the kidnap of a man."
"Not at all, I would never do something like that," Mr Freeman said. He said he was friends with Michael Etuhu at the time, and saw him 'daily'. Mr Freeman said they met through Etuhu's brother Kelvin, a former Manchester City footballer.
He denied knowing the victim would be targeted because it was believed he had 'access to cash and drugs'. Mr Freeman told jurors he had known the victim for about 10 years and that they often played football together, sometimes up to three times a week.
He said they used to go out for food or to smoke shisha. Mr Freeman said he wasn't working at the time, but was 'buying and selling cars for profit', after doing a similar job at Supreme Engines UK Ltd.
Asked why his phone's search history showed he had looked for garages, he said he had been asked by Michael Etuhu, who 'wanted to get in the game'.
"We were at the gym when he mentioned if I knew anyone as he was looking for premises for lease or rent," he said, adding: "I said I would look around."
Mr Freeman was also asked about an internet search for the victim on his phone. He said Michael Etuhu had access to his phone on occasion.
"It must have been Michael that searched for him," he added. "From time to time, he'd ask to use my phone, sometimes he had no data or Wi-Fi, but looking back I don't know why he did it."
Asked about a note on phone which contained the victim's registration plate, he said: "I didn't put that in there, I didn't even know it was there until I was told by the police."
Mr Freeman denied knowing any of the convicted men, except Michael Etuhu. He was asked about a date in March - a month before the kidnapping - when he met the victim for food at Parrs Wood in Didsbury.
Prosecutors allege the group planted a tracker on the victim's car during that meeting. Mr Freeman accepted meeting the victim, but said he had 'no idea' the other men were there.
"You were trying to get him to meet you?," Mr Cockrell asked. "Just to get food, it wasn't out of the ordinary," he replied. "I never met the others."
Asked why he sent a message to Michael Etuhu saying they were ordering food, he said: "I'm not too sure, but I don't know what was the conversation before that... I'm not sure. I don't know what that message was about. I wasn't involved in anything like that."
He denied knowing trackers were being put on the victim's car. Mr Freeman, of Rosshill Walk, Hulme; and Mr Chin, of Billington Road, Northampton, deny conspiracy to kidnap.
Proceeding
