GANG members of OPM – Other People's Money – beat up and imprisoned a man who had been 'disrespectful' to their leader and then posted video of him on the internet, it has been alleged.
The purpose of the video was to send out the message "This is what happens if you say bad things about us", Gloucester Crown Court was told yesterday.
In the dock were five alleged gang members, including leader Freeston Horsford, known as PO, who are accused of conspiring to commit grievous bodily harm and false imprisonment between 26 and 28 April.
No pleas were entered at the preliminary hearing and they were all remanded in custody until Friday May 16.
Horsford, 28, of Cophall Street, Tipton, Staffs, is jointly accused with Mica McLeary, 19, of Spa Road, Gloucester; Ashley Walker, 26, of Sissons Road, Gloucester; Nathan McCrae, 27, of Hazel Field, Drybrook, and Lucresia Maguire, 19, of Oakhanger Lane, Kingsway.
Prosecutor Julian Kesner said he believed the Crown had "powerful photographic and text message evidence".
"[The case] can be prosecuted on the basis of video clips and text messages and the interpretation of those," he said.
Judge Jamie Tabor QC said: "The Crown allege that a group of people going by the name OPM – Other People's Money – conspired to beat up and to lock up a person not unknown to this court and did so and they filmed themselves doing it."
Mr Kesner said: "The reason was that he was disrespectful to PO, which is the street name of Freeston Horsford, and he was also disrespectful to OPM and that is what it is all about.
"They posted on the internet a video clip with a message which said this is what happens if you say bad things about us."
Claire Malvern, for Maguire, said she would be making a bail application later for her client.
There were no bail applications for any of the other defendants.