Drugs gang leader's alleged threat to kill Wick man

[Nwicker60]

"Drown him"- order said to have been given

A MEMBER of an alleged drugs gang told a trial in Portugal of the day he discovered that its leader had given orders for Wick man James Ross to be drowned.
Mr Ross is said to have been lured to the Algarve in October with the promise of a job, growing cannabis to pay off a £10,000 drugs debt but was abducted at the airport, on his arrival.
Five Britons are accused of abducting 28-year-old Mr Ross, in October 2010, keeping him captive and torturing him in a remote location in the Algarve for 13 days.
Giving evidence, yesterday, one of the accused Ronnie Rose (25) from the Midlands, said that he had seen Mr Ross only once, on October 12, during a car trip with another gang member, Terence McGurk (33) also from the Midlands, to an undentified location. Later, when they rejoined the rest of the gang he learned that Johnson had given orders for Mr Ross to be drowned.
Rose told the court that the information had come from McGurk and added that both their families had been threatened by Johnson.
The gang is alleged to have have cut off one of Mr Ross’s ears, and some of his ears fingers and toes and tendons slashed.
The five accused have denied all the charges against them. The trial continues.