A MAN was held captive in his own home, tortured and strangled after he refused to reveal his bank card details, a jury has been told.

Graham Reeve was allegedly bundled into his flat in Greenstead, Colchester, by two men and a woman and was threatened, beaten and intimidated into handing over his card details.

But the jury heard the quiet 55-year-old refused to reveal his pin despite an ordeal lasting hours.

A total of 47 “injury sites” were found on Mr Reeve’s body, including a stab wound to his stomach.

Trisha Levett, Danny Howsego and Jon Williams, all from Stanley Wooster Way, Colchester, tried unsuccessfully to use the card 11 times at a cashpoint and ordered food, booze and cigarettes worth £250, Chelmsford Crown Court was told.

The court heard Mr Reeve probably met his death when the card had “served its usefulness”.

Patricia Lynch QC, prosecuting, told the court yesterday: “It was not a quick, clean, straightforward killing.

“As repeated efforts were made to withdraw money from the cashpoint failed, they would return to assault Mr Reeve.

“The violent course of conduct took place between 4pm on July 4 and the early hours of the following morning.

“The actual cause of death was ligature strangulation after a prolonged period of violence and intimidation.

“Mr Reeve was strangled with some kind of rope or cord and that is how he died.

“There were extensive injuries to his arms, wrists and upper shoulders consistent with him being forcibly restrained, and extensive bruising to his face, consistent with punching and blunt instrument blows.”

Levett, 28, Howsego, 36, and Williams, 22, deny murdering Mr Reeve at his home in Charles Pell Road, between July 4 and 7 last year. Levett and Howsego deny robbing Mr Reeve of a bank card. Williams admits that charge.

Miss Lynch said Howsego and Williams were “almost certainly responsible” for the violence and intimidation as they held Mr Reeve captive in his home.

But she said it was a joint enterprise involving the two men and Levett.

Miss Lynch told the jury: “Levett was aware of the violence he was suffering when he did not hand over his pin details.

“She was going to the cashpoint to use the card and reporting that the pin had not worked, knowing what was likely to happen as a result of that.

“She knew full well, or must have realised as time went on, what was happening.”

The trial heard attempts to use Mr Reeve’s bank card for cash failed. Calls were made to get the card unlocked and more than £250 worth of alcohol, food and cigarettes were ordered from a store and delivered to Mr Reeve’s flat.

Miss Lynch said: “When the card had served its usefulness, it is likely, at that stage, Mr Reeve met his death.”

The trial continues.