Francis Martin Sabit, 19, in Beenleigh Court for torture charges

An alleged drug deal gone bad ended with a group of young men being forced to strip, dance while filmed, with a knife to their throat, a court heard.

A court has heard a drug deal gone bad ended with a group of men neing forced to strip and a knife was placed to a man’s throat. Picture: File photo

An alleged drug deal gone bad ended with a group of young men being forced to strip, dance while filmed, with a knife to their throat, a court has heard.

Francis Martin Sabit, 19, faced Beenleigh Magistrates Court on May 27 charged with deprivation of liberty, assault occasioning bodily harm, robbery in company and two counts of torture.

The Logan Reserve man applied for bail. He has spent 207 days in pre-sentence custody since the alleged incident.

Police alleged that in November, 2023 in Eileen Ct in Logan Reserve, Sabit and four other men tortured a group of males and made them right down their addresses and phone numbers of family members in an attempt to threaten them.

Police alleged they then filmed one of the men stripping down to his underwear and made him dance while they laughed at him.

The court heard the alleged incident started when the group walked over to a car and demanded a man give them all his belongings.

Logan Reserve park near Eileen Ct where an alleged torture and deprivation of liberty occurred.

They then allegedly entered the car and held a 30cm knife to his throat, which they pushed into his skin.

He was allegedly hit with a fishing rod and also hit in the chest before the group attempted to drive away in the car with the victim still in it.

Defence lawyer Alex Somers said the prosecution case was weak.

“It is a wholly circumstantial case. It’s open to find the evidence against him isn’t strong,” he said.

“There is no forensic evidence or CCTV footage linking him to the alleged crime and he was not known to the co-accused.

“My client will be contesting the charges and there will not be a trial for 12 to 18 months.”

Magistrate Terry Duroux noted the defendant had no prior convictions and a job opportunity with a plastering company once released.

“The allegations are serious and concerning. It seems to be a drug deal gone bad,” he said.

Bail was granted under conditions including there be no contact with witnesses or the co-accused.