TWO half-brothers abducted a food factory worker and robbed him of his car and cash before leaving him to die in a field on Christmas Day, a jury heard.

Sleaford factory worker Gediminas Kirstukas, 23, was found dead by a dog walker at Hungarton in Leicestershire, at about 10am on December 25, 2008.

There were marks on his hands and ankles – indicating he had been tied up, Leicester Crown Court heard.

He was found lying under a blanket next to an almost-empty litre bottle of brandy and a bag containing his passport, bank cards and driving licence.

His mobile phone and cash – apart from a few coins – were missing.

The cause of death was alcohol toxicity and he was thought to have died between two and six hours before being found.

Gregory Dickinson, prosecuting, said Mr Kirstukas came to the UK from Lithuania to work at Tulip Pork Products in Sleaford in September 2008.

On the afternoon of Christmas Eve, Mr Kirstukas, who lodged in Sir Isaac Newton Drive, Boston, received a phone call and then told his landlady he was going to Asda in Boston, because someone was going to introduce him to some girls.

Mr Dickinson said it was believed Aurimas Zaremba, 23, was given Mr Kirstukas's number by a Lithuanian friend because Mr Kirstukas was considering selling his Audi A6 car and Zaremba may have been interested in buying it.

Zaremba and his half-brother, Gintaras Kuzmarskis, 19, travelled to Boston, on December 23.

They allegedly met the defendant the following day and held him captive, forcing him to hand over his bank card and PIN.

The court heard mobile phone site records indicated the alleged victim was taken to Wisbech, near Peterborough, and stayed there with Zaremba, while his brother and another person went to Peterborough, cleaning out his bank account of all his cash – £300.

The phone records, which were said to have revealed their movements around the country, also allegedly put the pair in the area near Hungarton just before midnight on Christmas Eve.

Zaremba and Kuzmarskis, of Anfield Road, Liverpool, both deny manslaughter, false imprisonment, robbing the alleged victim of his car, and two counts of fraudulently using his bank card.

The trial continues.