A MAN was stripped and force-fed potpourri at knifepoint by a gang in a bid to extort money from him.
The gang imprisoned Christopher Hipkiss after luring him to a flat in west Hull, believing he was responsible for stealing £90 from one of their bank accounts.
Liam Woods, 25, is on trial at Hull Crown Court accused of binding Mr Hipkiss's hands with cable ties during his ordeal.
Alexander Oades, Holly Norman and Jamie Mullenger have all pleaded guilty to false imprisonment.
Oades held a knife to Mr Hipkiss's face and ordered him to strip before forcing him to eat potpourri and cutting up his clothes with a knife.
He told Mr Hipkiss: "Look how easy it cuts through your clothes, think what it will do to you".
In a statement read to the court, Mr Hipkiss, 24, said: "Alex pulled out a knife, it looked like a shaving razor.
"He looked angry and was very intense and glaring at me. He held the knife towards my head and told me to get undressed. I was so scared, I didn't question him."
It is alleged Oades ordered Mr Woods to tie his hands.
In his statement, Mr Hipkiss said: "Alex told Liam to tie my hands behind my back. He said if I didn't he would "cut me up".
"I thought he was going to stab me with the knife. Liam tried to fasten the ties, they came undone straight away. He didn't try again but remained behind me. I felt nervous with him behind me as I didn't know what he was going to do.
"Alex said if I didn't get the money, he would stab me. I didn't scream for help, as I was so frightened about what was happening.
"At one point, Alex held the knife to me and told me to eat potpourri or he would stab me. I ate some of it, it tasted awful. I didn't feel I had a choice. They were playing with me, trying to humiliate me.
"I was shaking with fear. I have never been so frightened, I honestly thought they were going to kill me. I didn't take their money but I was so frightened I thought if I give them their money they might leave me alone."
Mr Hipkiss was subjected to an ordeal lasting an hour and 40 minutes at the flat in Coltman Street on April 13 last year.
When he was arrested, Mr Woods told the police he had just sat on a bed in the flat with his hood up and did not want to be there.
He agreed he tied Mr Hipkiss's hands behind his back on orders from Oades but did not tie them tightly and they came off instantly.
Oades gave evidence for the prosecution and told the court Mr Woods was as angry as he was.
Oades said: "I produced some ties after I made Chris eat the potpourri, I passed them to Woods and he tied his hands behind his back.
"I didn't verbally tell him but when I passed the ties to him he did it straight away."
Cross-examining Oades, barrister Nigel Clive, representing Mr Woods, suggested his client was "scared".
Mr Clive said: "You were armed and making threats and Mr Hipkiss was doing it because he was scared and you told Liam to tie his hands and he did so because he was scared."
Oades, 22, of Great Union Street, east Hull, replied: "I'm not singling Liam Woods out over anyone else."
Mullenger, 19, of Cholmley Street, west Hull, and Norman, 22, of Great Union Street, guarded the door during the incident.
Mr Woods, of Pickering Road, west Hull, denies false imprisonment and the trial continues.
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