A TRIAL where four men are on trial charged with kidnapping a man over a drug debt is drawing to a close.

Four men are on trial at Reading Crown Court charged with various counts including conspiracy to blackmail, kidnap, and false imprisonment.

It is alleged that some of them kidnapped and imprisoned Mr Khan and his friend, Mr Nys, after he failed to pay a drug debt that was started by his friend.

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The prosecution stated threats were made to Mr Nys, including a threat to burn down his family home.

On December 13, 2021, armed police stormed a flat in Hunter Street, Northampton and found the two victims, and the defendants were arrested.

On trial are: Erlind Demiraj, 31, of Orts Road, Reading, Klej Doci, 19, of St Margarets Road, St Leonards-on-Sea, Gevin Pasha, 21, of Grey Street, Northampton, and Gentjan Kica, 33, of Glenrosa Road, Reading.

All four defendants are charged with conspiracy to blackmail between January 1, 21 and December 14, 21. Three defendants bar Kica are charged with conspiracy to kidnap Mr Khan.

Doci and Pasha are charged with the kidnap and Mr Khan and the false imprisonment of Mr Nys, as well as assault occasioning actual bodily harm of Mr Khan.

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On Tuesday (August 22), the trial was hearing closing statements from the defence barristers of each defendant.

Pasha’s barrister was addressing the jury about the first count he is charged with, conspiracy to kidnap, and told them that the prosecution have ‘no evidence’ linking the defendant to this charge.

“They don’t have any texts or messages to link Pasha to this blackmail,” he said. “They have a few texts in various stages but there are no texts or messages to link Pasha.

“There’s no text to show any connection to align him with any counts at all. There’s no suggestion that Pasha was actively or directly involved in any of the negotiations, demands, threats or money transfers made.”

He added that there was no evidence Pasha had been ‘personally visited’ Mr Khan’s family house of that he ‘ever spoke to any of the Khan family, either in person or on the phone’.

The defence closing speeches continue this week.

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A fifth defendant, Garcon Lala, 27, of Eastern Road, Haringey, London, was also on trial charged with all five counts.

However, he pleaded guilty on Monday (August 7), a week after the trial began. He will now be sentenced at a later date.