A marketing consultant has told of his terror after he was held hostage at gunpoint as part of a £20 million blackmail plot.

Patrick Kelly told a jury he thought he was going to die during his six-hour ordeal.

He described how he was threatened with a pistol and what later turned out to be a realistic imitation Russian army rifle at a house in Crawley.

He was lured to the house in Broadfield by Lester Deakin and his half-brother John Venn, Hove Crown Court heard yesterday.

Richard Barton, prosecuting, said Deakin claimed to be a man called Robert with money to invest from an inheritance.

Mr Kelly said he agreed to meet Deakin and Venn at the Pease Pottage service station near the M23 on August 28, last year.

They drove to Deakin's house in Broadfield where he was taken into the kitchen and documents slammed down on a table in front of him.

Mr Kelly said Deakin pulled a gun on him and started shouting about money he claimed was owed by David Reece, Mr Kelly's business associate, to rich investment clients.

He said: "The kitchen blinds were closed and he pointed a gun at me and asked for my car keys. I handed them over because I had a gun pointed at me and felt in mortal danger."

Mr Reece was phoned in Cyprus and told to immediately transfer money to a bank account in the name of Deakin's partner Karen Scarlet.

Mr Kelly was ordered to speak to Mr Reece to tell him that he was being held hostage and would be shot if he did not follow orders.

Mr Kelly said: "It began with him asking for over £20 million but it kept coming down until it was £1.8 million."

Mr Kelly said as his ordeal continued he persuaded Deakin he was not well and needed medication. He said Venn did not believe him but Deakin eventually agreed he could leave at 3am on condition he returned at 10am.

Mr Kelly said Venn appeared with the rifle just before he was about to be driven to his car.

He said: "Lester Deakin said I could go but if I did not return he could shoot me from a mile away with it.

"I was told that if they did not get me they would get my family."

Mr Kelly was taken to his car and then drove to Kew, West London, where he phoned Mr Reece.

He had tipped off police about what was happening and officers arrived at the kiosk where Mr Kelly called from soon after. Mr Kelly agreed with Rudi Fortson, defending, that he has a conviction for conspiracy to defraud and money laundering in 2002.

He denied he was not telling the truth when he claimed guns had been pulled on him.

Mr Kelly added: "Lester Deakin was demanding money off me.

"He said he did not care if I lived or died and that he always got the job done and collected the money.

"He said he had connections with Interpol and a Government department and could find me anywhere in the world at any time."

Deakin, 46, of Regents Close, Broadfield, and Venn, 36, of Rotherfield Avenue, Eastbourne, deny blackmail by demanding money with menaces and having firearms with intent to cause fear of violence.

The trial continues.