A Winnipeg man who alleges he was the victim of gun-toting car-jackers is in custody charged with contempt of court after he ran out of a preliminary hearing for the four accused.

The 22-year-old man claims he was frightened for his life after receiving anonymous death threats targeting him and his family prior to the June 23 hearing.

On Wednesday Judge Mary Curtis denied the man bail, noting he has a criminal record "rife with failures to obey court orders."

"I can understand, if in fact what he is saying is true ... the consternation and fear that might be involved," Curtis said. "But there are balancing principles here ... You just don't duck out. The police were certainly very much involved in this and would have been the people to deal with (his concerns)."

Crown attorney Keith Eyrikson said the man was subpoenaed to court well in advance of the hearing date, but when the day arrived he didn't show up.

Police contacted the man and drove him to court. Once there, "he refused to look at his statement, he was not forthcoming or co-operative or even willing to talk to the Crown," Eyrikson said.

The man disappeared after a lunch break and didn't return until hours later, Eyrikson said. The man was briefly questioned on the witness stand but after another break in proceedings bolted from the courthouse.

As a result, the preliminary hearing was adjourned and a number of the accused have since been granted bail.

Eyrikson urged Curtis to pay little heed to the man's threat claim and recommended he be held in custody until the preliminary hearing resumes in December.

"If you are threatened you call police," Eyrikson said. "You don't just get to hold a trial hostage."

Defence lawyer Dean Nygaard said his client had every intention of testifying but became increasingly frightened after receiving the death threats.

"It doesn't really serve any purpose to hold him in custody until December in order to testify in a case where he is the victim," Nygaard said.

dean.pritchard@sunmedia.ca

Twitter: @deanatwpgsun