A SCOTTISH man has appeared in court after a teenager was allegedly kidnapped, tortured and filmed in a bid to extort money from his dad.
Kerr McCulloch, from Girvan, faces a charge of abducting the complainer, then aged 15, and detaining him against his will while acting with a juvenile and another.
The 21-year-old accused is said to have assaulted the alleged victim to his severe injury, in an effort to extort money.
The alleged offence is said to have taken place at a car park near Girvan, within a car on roads in the Girvan area, at an address in Linden Avenue, and elsewhere on August 10, 2023.
The Crown's indictment claims the teen complainer was detained in a vehicle and, whilst within, had his mobile phone forcibly taken from him.
It is claimed that McCulloch repeatedly threatened him with a knife, placed the blade against his forehead and cut it, and also repeatedly punched and kicked him on the body.
The charge alleges that after driving him to an unknown location and forcibly dragging him into an industrial cage, he was repeatedly kicked and punched on the body.
He was allegedly struck on the head and body with a baseball bat or similar implement.
He was allegedly forcibly removed from this unidentified location and taken to an address in Linden Avenue, and forced to make multiple video calls to his father showing injuries sustained in the alleged assaults and instructing him to pay a sum of money.
The charge states that "failure to do so would result in him coming to serious harm" in an attempt to extort them.
Court papers claim the alleged offence was committed while the accused was on two bail orders, granted at Glasgow Sheriff Court in 2023.
McCulloch, who appeared represented by solicitor Tony Currie, pleaded not guilty to the charge when he appeared for a brief pre-trial hearing at Ayr Sheriff Court.
Bail was continued for the accused, of Rowan Road, Girvan, and he will return to face the allegations again at a later date.
