A man was allegedly "tortured" in the cellar of a house over a meagre £300, a court has heard.
Adam Clapham, 31, and another man were held allegedly captive at a "drugs house" in Spring Street, Rotherham, in September, 2022, after they were blamed for a missing bundle of cash estimated at £300, prosecutor Mark McKone told Sheffield Crown Court on Thursday, April 20, reports Yorkshire Live.
The prosecutor said the charges against Muhammed Ashraf, 18, of Fraser Road, Arbab Yusuf, 24, of Lord Street, Kieron Millar, 30, of Mounth Pleasant Road, Robert Crookes, 31, Lynette Myers, 39, of Hounsfield Crescent and a 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were of a "very serious violence and humiliation."
The gang are charged with the murder of Mr Clapham, grievous bodily harm with intent, rape and false imprisonment of him and another man.
Another defendant, Martin Shaw, 44, of Norfolk Street is accused of assisting offenders.
The court heard that all of them deny the charges.
It is alleged that Mr Clapham and the other man were held at the at the house against their will, assaulted and forced to perform oral sex on one and other in the early hours of September 18, 2022.
Some of the brutal incident was said to be filmed and found on Mr Ashaf's and the 17-year-old's phones.
Prosecutor, Mr McKone said: "The prosecution say both were tortured."
The other man was found in Rotherham town centre late on September 18 and rushed to hospital.
He was discovered with no shoes or socks on, with serious injuries.
Mr Clapham's naked body was found in a sleeping bag at 41 Spring Street by police a day later. He had a rag wrapped around his hand.
Mr McKone said: "The prosecution say that the motive for the violence is linked to drug dealing and class A drug dealing - heroin and cocaine." The court was told Mr Clapham was a cocaine addict and "the property was used for the sale of class A drugs."
Mr McKone said: "Addicts visited that address to buy those drugs. The two victims were blamed for £300 of drug money going missing from that address. The prosecution say that Adam [and the other man] were punished because the drug dealers believed they had stolen the money. It was also important for the drug dealers to send out a message that they should not be crossed.
"The prosecution say the drug business was run by Arbab Yusuf who had the nickname 'Tony' or 'T.' He accepts the nickname Tony and that he had a drugs business."
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