Five men are on trial at Worcester Crown Court accused of charges including conspiracy to kidnap and wounding, after Wasim Yaqub, 37, was allegedly kidnapped outside his home in Kidderminster, held captive in a storage unit and beaten with a hammer after a business deal went wrong.

In 2009 Tariq Mahmood, one of the five defendants, Mr Yaqub and another man invested a total of £50,000 in a business deal which went wrong. Mahmood accused Mr Yaqub of taking the money, and had been hunting him since then.

Mr Yaqub, his partner Stacey Bayley and their two children had changed addresse frequently since 2009.  On Aug 3 2013 Miss Bayley notified her parents they were planning to move to London. Her father, Robert Collins, who has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to kidnap, told Paul Murray, another of the defendants, and Tariq Mahmood of their plans to move so the kidnap plan needed to be put into action.

Later on that evening, Miss Bayley saw Murray and Mahmood attack Mr Yaqub outside their home and force him into a car, which was driven by Robert Watters, and she called 999.

Mr Yaqub was taken to the storage unit owned by Kulbir Bains, where he suffered a broken ankle and his face was badly injured.  The next day Mr Yaqub was seen by passers-by being dumped from the car.

Tariq Mahmood, 41, of Birmingham, denies conspiracy to kidnap, false imprisonment, causing grievous bodily harm with intent and wounding with intent.

Tehery Mahmood, 37, of Birmingham, denies false imprisonment and causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

Paul Murray, 42, of no fixed address, denies conspiracy to kidnap, false imprisonment and wounding with intent.

Steven Taylor, 37, of Birmingham, denies false imprisonment and wounding with intent.

Kulbir Bains, 40, of Birmingham, denies conspiracy to kidnap, false imprisonment and causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

The trial continues.

Please click here to read the article from the Kidderminster Shuttle.

Please click here to view the profiles of David Mason QC, Gary Bell QC and Phil Bradley.