Burnley man in baseball bat ‘kidnap attack horror’ (From This Is Lancashire)

Burnley man in baseball bat ‘kidnap attack horror’

9:02am Wednesday 15th August 2012 in News By Wendy Barlow, Court reporter

A MAN was forced into a car by a gang, taken to a remote area of Burnley, attacked and abandoned, a jury was told.

Burnley Crown Court heard how Kurt Swindlehurst was left injured after he was beaten with weapons, including a  , in the early evening incident, last November 14.

Peter Carroll, 48, of Florence Street, Burnley, is alleged to have been one of the group but denies affray.

Mark Ellis, 35, of Clitheroe Road, Brierfield, Bradley Lister, 18, of Whitefield Terrace, John Fielden, 23, of Cameron Street, both Burnley, and Jason Miller, 26, of Grove Lane, Padiham, have all admitted affray, the court heard.

Mark Lamberty, prosecuting, said the offence was committed against a ‘background of some disharmony’ between Mr Swindlehurst and others who lived on Stoops Estate, Burnley. Mr Swindlehurst was taken from Brush Street in a vehicle by a group of men, to a location above the golf course at Crown Point and assaulted with weapons.

The prosecutor said: “A baseball bat seems to feature.”

The victim was then left there to make his own way back to the bottom of the hill.

Mr Lamberty said Mr Swindlehurst suffered injuries to his forehead and body and a fractured finger.

The prosecutor said Carroll attended the police station at the request of officers and was formally arrested and interviewed.

He gave a prepared statement, denying any involvement in the offence. The defendant told police he had been out running errands, had been to a friend’s house in Bacup and he had been there for the rest of the evening.

Giving evidence, Mr Swindlehurst told the court: “I don’t know what went on, because I can’t remember that night at all.”

Asked by Mr Lamberty: “Do you remember making any sort of complaint to the police last year? Do you remember making any statement to the police?” He replied: “No.”

Mr Swindlehurst, who said he had had a lot of trouble in his life with drugs, told the court he accepted he was ‘refusing to help the police’ when they spoke to him again in January about the incident.

(Proceeding)