A trader was forced to hand over hundreds of thousands of pounds-worth of cryptocurrency after allegedly being kidnapped, robbed and blackmailed, a jury has heard. Seven men are on trial accused of a series of offences against the alleged victim.

He claimed he was kidnapped twice, as well as being attacked and falsely imprisoned. The complainant, from Salford, said during one alleged kidnapping he was pistol whipped and was threatened with being shot.

David Povey, 37, Gary Edwards, 46, Jonathan Newns, 24, Luke Johnson, 24, Karl Johnson, 34, Kane Godiff, 32, and Jack Redshaw, 18, deny all charges and are standing trial at Minshull Street Crown Court.

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The complainant, who said he’d been involved in cryptocurrency ‘since the start’, said that the first incident occurred when a man knocked on his door and demanded money. “He said pay me and you won’t see me again,” the man said in a video interview with police which was played to the jury.

“They were threatening, and they were going to do me in.” He said the man left after he agreed to send cryptocurrency worth £150,000. The complainant said that days later a number of men banged on the door of his home and demanded money.

“One guy has had tights on his head and some kind of koch or knife,” he said. He said he sent ‘more than last time’, estimating he transferred cryptocurrency worth ‘a couple of hundred thousand’ pounds.

In his interview he went on to tell police that he was held after attending a woman’s home to exchange some drugs. “Before I had a chance to say anything I was getting punched,” he said.

He said a number of men demanded money, but he said he didn’t have any to give. The man said he was ‘tied up’ with his hands behind his back, and detained ‘through the night’ while arrangements were made to transfer money.

At one point he was kept in a cupboard under the stairs, the court heard. Jurors were told that he was released the following morning after he arranged to speak with another cryptocurrency trader who could send funds.

He told police that he was then kidnapped a few weeks later after people turned up at his home and demanded money. He said that when he told them it would take ‘a while’ to arrange for it to be sent on, he was taken away in a van.

The complainant said he was punched and kicked and kept in a property for ‘a few nights’ until funds were transferred. He said about £125,000 worth of currency was later sent.

He told police that weeks later, he was kidnapped for a second time. The man said he was at a friend’s house ‘having a smoke’ when he was asked to go outside.

The complainant said he was bundled into a van and had a ‘bag’ placed over his head. He said the van drove for about ten minutes before coming to a stop, and he was led into a property.

He said he was taken to a bedroom where demands for money were made. The complainant said he was punched and suffered broken ribs after being kicked.

He said that he was pistol whipped and was threatened with being shot. “They were just going to keep me there until I sent the money, and I couldn’t do it,” he said.

The court heard that the police attended the property. Jurors were told that the complainant told police he didn’t initially report the allegations because he was a ‘drug user’.

Mr Povey, of Dalebeck Close, Whitefield, Bury, and Mr Edwards, of Cumberland Avenue, Cadishead, Salford, both deny one count of robbery, one count of kidnap, one count of false imprisonment and one count of blackmail.

Mr Newns, of Salix Court, Salford, and Luke Johnson, of Southway, Eccles, Salford, both deny two counts of kidnap, one count of robbery, two counts of blackmail, two counts of false imprisonment and one count of possessing a prohibited firearm.

Karl Johnson, of Cambrai Crescent, Eccles, Salford, denies one count of robbery, two counts of blackmail, two counts of false imprisonment, one count of kidnap and one count of possessing a prohibited firearm.

Kane Godiff, of Monarch Close, Irlam, Salford, and Jack Redshaw, of Coronation Drive, Leigh, both deny one count of robbery, one count of blackmail and one count of false imprisonment.

Proceeding.