PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A man accused of kidnapping two women was in court.

Burton Robert Gibson, 27, faced one of his accusers today.

His former co-worker claims he beat her up before choking her and tying her up with a shoestring.

The woman says she passed out and when she came to Burton allegedly threatened to kill her if she didn’t cooperate in the robbery.

The woman says she and Burton were friends and they worked together at Midway Equipment Rental on Bennett Street in Homewood.

She told the jury that Burton knew she had the keys and security code to the business and he forced her to go with an accomplice and steal $10,000 from the company’s safe.

The victim says she and another coworker were held against their will at a home and were threatened.

Burton’s attorneys claim there are too many inconsistencies in the victim’s story, saying she never mentioned a gun during testimony, but told police he had a gun in the criminal complaint.

“What I think happened is there was a conspiracy, but it does not lay with attorney Ecker and my client,” Phil DiLucente, one of Burton’s attorneys, said.

“It lays with the two alleged victims and I think that as she quoted in open court in front of all of you, ‘I knew everything that went on in that office.’ Our client was just a machinist,” he added.

“Almost the perfect crime wasn’t it?” Jim Ecker said. “It’s interesting how things go. Believe in the Easter Bunny and you believe this case.”

Burton remains jailed on charges of kidnapping, burglary, unlawful restraint and aggravated assault.

Police are reportedly still looking for a second suspect.

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