Threatened with dismemberment if he didn't give cash to captors, says Torbay man

A bizarre and frightening tale is being told in St. John's at provincial court by a man whosays he was beaten up, choked, and threatened with dismemberment if he didn't get money for his captors.

The alleged victim, Eric Kirby of Torbay, said he is so traumatized that he could not be in the same courtroom as the accused, 31-year-old Justin Jennings. So, Kirby is being allowed to testify by video link.

Kirby told the court on Tuesday that in July 2015, he was in a car in Paradise with a friend, when a man came up, opened the passenger side door and tried to stab him.

Kirby said he was able to slam the man's arm in the door, but the man was able to get in. The man jumped in the back seat, Kirby said, and then put the knife to his throat, and told them to drive.

Kirby said they were taken to a nearby house.

'Like a cheese grater was run through it'

There, it's alleged that Jenningsand another man demanded $5,000 from Kirby.

Kirby said one of them fired five shots into amartial arts punchingbag to frighten him, andthat one of them shoved the barrel of the gun down his throat.

"The doctor said my throat looked like a cheese grater was run through it," Kirby told the court.

He said the menalso threatened to cut off his fingers, an arm or a leg with power tools if they didn't get the money.

Kirby said he told them he would do whatever he had to in order to be let go, so he arranged for his mother to email him $2,000.

When the crown asked him what he thought was going on, Kirby said it might have something to do with a pill bottle that was stolen from a friend.

That friend, and Kirby's mother are slated to testify at the trial.

Kirby will be cross examined Wednesday.