Hamilton trio accused of forcing victim to take out money

Three Hamilton men are facing criminal charges after allegedly holding a victim for hours, forcing him to get them money.

Hamilton police allege the trio went to a downtown men's shelter Jan. 27 around 10 a.m. and confronted a 27-year-old man they knew. They allegedly assaulted the victim and threatened to hurt him more if he did not turn over money.

For several hours, the 27-year-old was forced to attend locations downtown to get money while under his attackers' control, police said. Around 3:30 p.m., he was at a bank at King Street West and James Street North where he told the teller what was happening.

Police arrived quickly and arrested three suspects as they tried to flee. The victim suffered minor injuries.

Three Hamilton man, aged 25, 26 and 31, are each charged with robbery and forcible confinement. The 25-year-old is also charged with utter threats. The 26-year-old is also charged with possession of stolen property under $5,000 and the 31-year-old is charged with fail to comply with probation.

They are scheduled to appear in court Thursday.

Nicole O'Reilly is a Hamilton-based reporter covering crime and justice for The Spectator. Reach her via email: noreilly@thespec.com