A MAN accused of kidnapping another man at gunpoint met him to discuss collecting cash owed from drug deals, a court heard.

Shorn Charles-Chance told the jury at Basildon Crown Court yesterday he was helping to get the alleged victim the money he was owed.

Jade Quinn, 34, of Norfolk Close, Canvey and Stephen Musgrove, 24, of York Road, Southend are both are on trial charged with conspiring to kidnap and conspiring to commit robbery.

Charles-Chance and Karl Curtis, both 34, of Wanstead Lane, Ilford, are on trial charged with conspire to kidnap, conspire to commit robbery and possessing imitation firearm. Charles-Chance is also charged with blackmail.

The victim was targeted at the junction of London Road, Lambeth Road and Hadleigh Gardens in Benfleet.

Charles-Chance told the court: “He text me to say he wanted to meet me and then called me out of the blue while I was out for dinner with my then girlfriend at the time Jade Quinn.

“I was helping him collect money that he was owed and with a bad batch of cannabis he had sold to someone.

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“I asked him what we were going to do about the bad batch of cannabis and he wanted to know how I was getting on with collecting his debts.

“He was talking about getting money from different people and getting half a pack of weed from his dad’s. I followed him and it was half a bag so about half a kilogram.

“I never demanded £20,000 from him. Karl Curtis owed him money, it was £20,000 in cannabis and other stuff.

“I never had or produced a gun and I just stood with my hands in my pockets and I didn’t plan to go in his car.”

The victim was allegedly held at gunpoint and forced to drive from Benfleet to Stifford Clays to collect the cash by a gang.

Charles-Chance added: “I was concerned about Jade as she wasn’t happy and I didn’t want her involved and she wasn’t told what was happening.

“We followed him to his parent’s house and he went in and got the weed and got back in the car, I knew it was weed due to the packet.”

The trial continues.