Alleged drug dealer threatened to kill Oswestry man, court told
A 22-year-old alleged drug dealer had threatened to kill a man who he believed owed him money and who was later stabbed at a house in Oswestry, a court heard.
Luke Cross is also alleged to have threatened to burn down the victim's home over the £600 debt.
A jury at Stafford Crown Court was told yesterday three of the defendants' associates had confronted Barry Wright at a property in Castlefields, Oswestry, in January this year.
Mr Wright was attacked and suffered a stab wound to the left side of his back causing injuries to his spleen and a kidney, which had to be removed.
Mr Matthew Lowe, prosecuting, told the jury three men – Arsene Cubaka, known as CJ, Telmo Bernardo and Nathan McCarthy – had all pleaded guilty to offences relating to the attack.
It was claimed that Cross and the three men were involved in the supply of drugs in the Oswestry area.
Cross, of Mount View in Sutton Coldfield, denies charges of making threats to kill and a threat to cause criminal damage.
Mr Lowe said that Mr Wright was a cocaine addict and the attack on him was motivated by Cross and the others believing the victim had taken some of their money.
He said at the time Mr Wright lived in Queen Elizabeth Drive, Oswestry, and his daughter Georgia lived at the same address.
Georgia Wright knew Cross and the other men and had a casual relationship with the defendant who was known to be one of the sources of drugs for Mr Wright, and on occasions Miss Wright had "looked after" money for Cross and the others.
Mr Lowe said the threats were said to have been made by Cross in calls to Miss Wright when it was discovered the money was missing.
He claimed Cross had told her that her father would be killed and that his home would be burned down with the intention that she believed the threat would be carried out if the money was not repaid.
On January 23 the defendant was returning from Spain and his three "business associates" visited Mr Wright's address to collect the money.
Later the same day Mr Wright was attacked at a friend's house and the threats were said to have been made by Cross to Miss Wright in calls from an airport.
Giving evidence Miss Wright accepted her father had dealings with the four men and that she had "looked after quantities" of money for them. She said the missing money had been handed to her two days earlier in a plastic bag by McCarthy and it had been assumed it had been taken by her father.
Miss Wright said that Cubaka, McCarthy and Bernardo had "not been happy" and were angry when they discovered the money was missing.
Bernardo, 18, of Glau Gors, Caia Park,Wrexham, McCarthy, 22, of Abdon Avenue, Selly Oak, and Cubaka, 23 of Somerton Court, Erdington, remain in custody. The trial continues.
