Alleged kidnapper texted for divine help, court told

Khalid Naser Slaimankhel, Jen Jay Law and Junior Iolimo Paea, appear at the Auckland High Court. Photo / NZ Herald

An alleged kidnapper appears to have become so nervous he texted a friend asking God to keep him safe, a court has heard.

Junior Iolimo Paea is defending charges of kidnapping and perverting the course of justice for his role in the alleged abduction of body builder Marven Yacoub from an Auckland Burger King in 2013.

Khalid Naser Slaimankhel also faces kidnapping and perverting the course of justice charges. A third man, Jen Jay Law of Hamilton, faces a kidnapping charge.

The Crown alleges that, after being lured to the Burger King by Law on pretext of buying steroids, Mr Yacoub was detained by three large men and taken to a law office in Ponsonby where he was forced to swear a false statement to be used by Slaimankhel in a bail hearing the following day.

A jury at Auckland's High Court has heard evidence of text messages found on the accused men's phones.

After being contacted by Slaimankhel, Paea sent a text message to an unknown associate that said: "I Got a job for us Monday... And if it works out well will get paid on the spot my uso.."

The following day Paea sent Slaimankhel a text that said: "Hey my bro, sorry about late text but I forgot to ask you what kind of car does that fella drives and tell me the colour as well my bro."

The jury was shown CCTV footage of Mr Yacoub meeting with Paea and his two unknown associates at Burger King Mangere shortly after 11am on Monday, February 11, 2013.

Mr Yacoub testified that Paea threatened his family and insisted he go with the trio to swear an affidavit taking responsibility for 1048 pills found in the boot of Slaimankhel's BMW. He alleged Paea sat next to him in the Ponsonby law office whispering threats while his statement was typed out by Slaimankhel's lawyer Isaac Koya.

Text message evidence produced by the Crown appears to show Paea becoming increasingly nervous while at the law office.

At 12.23pm Paea received a text message from 'unknown associate 4' asking "US everything all right?"

He replied: "yeah just working on information the lawyer is typing it."

At 12.34pm Paea sent a text to 'unknown associate 1' that read: "this even bigger mess than we thought, us. Will when we tee up."

Paea then received a text from 'unknown associate 1' asking where he was and when he wanted to meet up.

He replied: "Soon we at the lawyers better pray to the almighty to keep us safe my uso.. Cause I'm starting to feel very funny about this now."

'Unknown associate 1' replied: "True well make sure he does not know the car you are driving, the plate number, see you later."

Later that evening Paea and Slaimankhel allegedly discussed whether Mr Yacoub would turn up at Slaimankhel's bail hearing the following day.

"Everything all goods," Paea said in a text to Slaimankhel. "I think M will be there tomorrow because he knows that we now know his ins and outs and where he sleeps and the ones he loves will."

The Crown has finished presenting its case. The defense case begins tomorrow.