THREE men kidnapped an acquaintance and beat him, because he allegedly sold "dodgy" heroin to one of their girlfriends, a court heard.

Adam Pass, Cain Pemberton and Ricky Jervis all deny kidnapping 26-year-old Matthew Morris.

A fourth co-accused, Jennifer Bentley, pleaded guilty to the charge yesterday at the beginning of a five-day trial.

Bentley, aged 31, of Woodside Avenue, Alsager, will be sentenced at a later date.

Chester Crown Court was told that the three defendants and the complainant knew each other from when they all lived in Congleton.

The court heard that on September 9 last year, at around 11pm, Mr Morris was travelling with his girlfriend Hannah Gaywood in her car along Chester Road in Macclesfield when they had to stop at temporary traffic lights.

A blue Rover pulled up behind them, the passenger door of Miss Gaywood's car swung open and Mr Morris was dragged out.

He was beaten and kicked by at least two masked men before being dragged into another car.

The prosecution alleges Mr Morris, formerly of Congleton but who now lives in Macclesfield, was beaten further in the car before being dumped in a country lane.

Simon Parry, prosecuting, told the court Jennifer Bentley was driving the Rover and that Pass, aged 36, of Naseby Road, Congleton, and Pemberton, aged 20, of Parnell Square, Congleton, had been in the back. Jervis, aged 18, of Dale Crescent, Congleton, was in the front passenger seat.

Mr Parry said: "Mr Morris was terrified. At least one of the men was armed with a baseball bat.

"He curled up into a ball to try to protect himself. He was dragged into Bentley's car and his legs were hanging out.

"Pemberton tried to slam the door on his legs and ankles. During a conversation in the car, Pemberton alleged that Mr Morris had sold his girlfriend dodgy heroin."

The court was told that two paramedics in an ambulance driving the opposite way had seen Mr Morris being "bundled" into the car and followed it with sirens and blue lights switched on..

When police caught up with the Rover 25 minutes later on the A34 near Congleton, they found a set of nunchuks, a wooden pickaxe handle, a baseball bat, a plastic bag containing £1,260 cash and wraps of cannabis and cocaine inside.

Mr Morris told the court that the cash belonged to him and that it was a deposit for a flat.

He said: "The money was in my jacket pocket but Cain (Pemberton) felt the bulge and took it off me."

Mr Morris denied the suggestion by Pemberton's barrister Simon Killeen that the cash was "drugs money" and that the drugs found were his.

Mr Morris, who has 56 previous convictions for offences including shoplifting and burglary, admitted he used to take drugs including cocaine and cannabis.

The trial continues.