Teenager 'told police men had threatened to stab him'

A TEENAGER who was allegedly abducted from his Edinburgh home by a gang of men and driven to England was told he would be stabbed if he put up a struggle, a court has heard.

• A police car in Clermiston Place after reports of the alleged abduction in October 2008.

Aaron Hunter was a 16-year-old college student when he was bundled into a car outside his home in Clermiston Place, according to a statement he later gave to police.

But the teenager told the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday that he now had no recollection of the abduction, and was unaware of anyone paying a ransom for his safe return.

The statement that Mr Hunter gave to police stated that he had been forced to call his parents to find a number for "Leroy" while being held captive by four men with Liverpool or Manchester accents.

The teenager told officers that he had finally been released by the men at a Premier Inn in Warrington, after being given a 5 note to phone his father and tell him he had been "let go".

Mr Hunter was giving evidence at the trial of four men accused of removing him from a house in Clermiston Place, detaining him against his will and taking him to England in a vehicle on October 24 and 25, 2008, and attempting to extort money and drugs with others.

Joseph Lindsay, 26, Brian Sloan, 24, Craig Gallagher, 31, and Sean Givens, 26, have all denied the abduction.

Advocate depute Gary Allan QC pointed out that Joseph Lindsay had lodged a special defence of incrimination naming Kevin Carroll or McCabe, now deceased, formerly of Lennoxtown.

Mr Allan asked Mr Hunter if he knew someone called Kevin Carroll or McCabe and he replied: "No". Mr Hunter told the court that he did not know of any reason why Kevin Carroll, known as "The Gerbil", would want to abduct him.

The prosecutor said: "Do you know anyone called The Gerbil?" Mr Hunter said he did not.

Mr Allan said: "He is described in this notice as being now deceased and we may hear the reason is that he was shot. Do you know this man?"

Mr Hunter replied: "No."

The prosecutor asked: "Do you know any reason why Kevin Carroll or McCabe should want to abduct you?" He was told "no".

Mr Hunter, when asked when he discovered that he could not remember a single thing about the incident, said: "I am not sure."

He agreed with Lindsay's defence counsel, Brian McConnachie QC, that some or all of what he told police might be lies. He said he had no injuries and no knowledge of anybody paying money to get him back. In one statement, Mr Hunter was quoted as saying he remembered one of the men asking if he knew where "Leroy" stayed, or where they could find him.

The statement disclosed that Mr Hunter told police he had been told to call his mother to ask if she could get Leroy's number for a friend. In a later call to his father, he told him he had been "taken away".

After being told he would be stabbed if he struggled, the statement said Mr Hunter was eventually dropped off in Warrington. The trial continues.