THE CARLISLE Crown Court jury in the case of a Whitehaven man who denies inflicting violence that amounted “torture” on another man will resume their deliberations today.

Two other west Cumbrian men have already admitted intentionally inflicting grievous bodily harm the the victim, 40-year-old Sam McMahon, at a flat in the town in June last year.

But 32-year-old Jordan Starkey denies that allegation. He has also pleaded not guilty to falsely imprisoning and robbing Mr McMahon.

The court heard that the charges arose from treatment that was meted out to Mr McMahon over a prolonged period between June 8 and June 11 last year while he was at a flat in St James Court, Whitehaven.

Starkey and the two other men subjected Mr McMahon to 'serious violence', dragging him back to the flat to continue the attack when he tried to escape, the jury heard.

The violence – which included Mr McMahon being punched, stamped on, and hit with a golf club - had amounted 'torture,' said prosecutor Tim Evans when he opened the case.

In his evidence, Starkey, of Seven Acres, Parton, told the jury he took no part in the violence. He was either asleep in a bedroom or outside attending a local barbecue, he said.

Starkey told the court he helped Mr McMahon when he saw that he was injured, cleaning away his blood.

The victim – who has since died for reasons that the prosecution accept were not the result of the injuries he suffered during the attack – was so badly beaten that a police officer who knew said he was unrecognisable.

Barristers yesterday completed their closing speeches and the judge summed up the evidence before sending the jurors away to ponder their verdicts.