Two sons of a Gold Coast multi-millionaire forced a 19-year-old man to dig his own grave, taunted him with a gun, and then shot him in the hand after being left out of pocket in a failed drug deal, a court has heard.
Jade Michael Lacey, 24, and Dionne Matthew Lacey, 20, are facing a string of charges, including attempted murder and torture over their alleged treatment of Owen Matthews in April this year.
Matthews provided an emotional account of his alleged ordeal to a committal hearing in Southport Magistrates Court.
However, his testimony only went ahead after a screen was placed in front of the accused's father, milk millionaire Ken Lacey, because of Matthews' claims Lacey snr was intimidating him by giving him "death stares" during the previous day's proceedings.
Matthews told the court the Laceys abducted him at gunpoint, and took him to an isolated location on South Stradbroke Island, off the Gold Coast, after blaming him for the loss of 500 ecstasy pills allegedly stolen during a drug exchange.
He said they travelled to the island by boat on the night of April 21, after allegedly leaving from the brothers' unit in the plush waterfront suburb of Ephram Island.
The 19-year-old was so fearful he would be killed he snapped apart his Medicare card in his pocket and dropped a piece on the shore so he could be identified later.
Matthews told the court the brothers led him inland a short distance, before Dionne Lacey disappeared briefly before returning with two shovels and instructing him to dig his own grave.
Once the hole was dug, he said he was told to kneel in the grave with his hands behind his head.
"I started to cry and I prayed to myself for my life," he said.
At that point, he said, he felt a sharp blow to the side of his head and fell backwards, before Jade held the gun about 40cm from his head and pulled the trigger three times.
When no bullets were fired, he said Dionne Lacey remarked: "Looks like an angel kissed you on the dick."
Mr Matthews said the brothers then told him he owed them $50,000, and that they were going to shoot him to show him how serious they were.
He said Jade instructed him to hold out his left hand and fired a shot through it.
Afterwards, he said, he was taken back to the Laceys' unit, where he was imprisoned in the laundry for several days while the Laceys contemplated ways for him to get the money. Eventually they released him to a drug associate.
The court was told Matthews made a complaint to police after hearing news the brothers were wanted for the alleged murder of 23-year-old labourer Kevin Palmer at Nerang on May 6.
The hearing was adjourned until a date to be set, likely to be later this year.
©AAP 2007
Jade Michael Lacey, 24, and Dionne Matthew Lacey, 20, are facing a string of charges, including attempted murder and torture over their alleged treatment of Owen Matthews in April this year.
Matthews provided an emotional account of his alleged ordeal to a committal hearing in Southport Magistrates Court.
However, his testimony only went ahead after a screen was placed in front of the accused's father, milk millionaire Ken Lacey, because of Matthews' claims Lacey snr was intimidating him by giving him "death stares" during the previous day's proceedings.
He said they travelled to the island by boat on the night of April 21, after allegedly leaving from the brothers' unit in the plush waterfront suburb of Ephram Island.
The 19-year-old was so fearful he would be killed he snapped apart his Medicare card in his pocket and dropped a piece on the shore so he could be identified later.
Matthews told the court the brothers led him inland a short distance, before Dionne Lacey disappeared briefly before returning with two shovels and instructing him to dig his own grave.
Once the hole was dug, he said he was told to kneel in the grave with his hands behind his head.
"I started to cry and I prayed to myself for my life," he said.
At that point, he said, he felt a sharp blow to the side of his head and fell backwards, before Jade held the gun about 40cm from his head and pulled the trigger three times.
When no bullets were fired, he said Dionne Lacey remarked: "Looks like an angel kissed you on the dick."
Mr Matthews said the brothers then told him he owed them $50,000, and that they were going to shoot him to show him how serious they were.
He said Jade instructed him to hold out his left hand and fired a shot through it.
Afterwards, he said, he was taken back to the Laceys' unit, where he was imprisoned in the laundry for several days while the Laceys contemplated ways for him to get the money. Eventually they released him to a drug associate.
The court was told Matthews made a complaint to police after hearing news the brothers were wanted for the alleged murder of 23-year-old labourer Kevin Palmer at Nerang on May 6.
The hearing was adjourned until a date to be set, likely to be later this year.
©AAP 2007
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