Kidnappers who imprisoned a terrified 22-year-old student for a week while they milked his bank cards of EUR 13,000 have gone on trial in Germany.

The two men snatched victim Timothy Jules Straussinsky in the locality of Lichterfelde, in the borough of Steglitz-Zehlendorf on 30th July 2022 and kept him prisoner at a student flat, a court in the German capital heard.

Accused Mohamed F., 24, and 21-year-old Alan L. had threatened to knife the horrified Chemistry student.

As they followed him into a lift at a hall of residence, they told him: “It’s no joke – we’ll stab you.”

The pair, the court heard, threatened to drown their victim unless he handed over all his cards and PINs.

Timothy was only found when his family convinced police he would never go missing for so long, the court heard.

Detectives tracked his mobile phone – taken by one of the suspects – and followed it to the flat where Timothy was being held on 5th August last year (2022).

After freeing him, they arrested the second suspect a week later, when he returned to the crime scene, Berlin District Court heard on Monday, 6th March.

Both men are facing up to 15 years in jail on charges of kidnapping, bodily harm and extortion.

Accused Alan L. – who pled guilty – told the court “I confirm everything, almost everything is true, I messed things up, I’m very sorry.”

He claimed that he had no intention of locking the student in his apartment and blamed his accomplice for putting him under pressure.

He said: “I thought okay, then let’s leave him with me. He had food and drink and cigarettes there every day.”

However, the court heard how he had been part of a robbery which clocked up eight victims between May and August last year.

Final judgement is due on 19th April.