Brother-in-law of Humza Yousaf on trial on extortion and drug charges

The brother-in-law of Humza Yousaf has gone on trial accused of extortion and dealing class A drugs.

It follows the death of a man who fell from a window in Dundee after allegedly being threatened.

Ramsay El-Nakla, 37, has gone on trial at the High Court in Edinburgh along with co-accused Stephen Stewart, 52, Jennifer Souter, 39, and Victoria McGowan, 43, after the death of Ryan Munro on January 10, 2024.

Stewart, Souter and McGowan additionally face a charge specifically in relation to the death.

Court papers allege they “did threaten and intimidate him, thereby placing him in an extreme state of fear and alarm for his safety, and cause said Ryan Munro to escape said flat from a window at height, causing him to fall from said window and strike the ground, whereby he was so severely injured that he died there and you did kill him”.

El-Nakla does not face a charge in relation to the alleged killing of Mr Munro.

All four deny the charges against them.

Mr Munro fell from a window in the city’s Morgan Street after allegedly being abducted by Stewart, Souter and McGowan.

El-Nakla, of Dundee, is accused of dealing cocaine from the flat between January 9 and 11 2024, as well as at another home in the city, which he denies.

Stewart, McGowan and El-Nakla all deny dealing heroin from a flat in Dundee between July 1 2023 and January 11 2024.

Stewart, Souter and McGowan deny abducting Mr Munro between January 9 and 10 2024, and court papers allege they “did intimidate and threaten him, placing him in a state of fear and alarm and did detain him against his will”.

Between the same dates, all four are alleged to have put Mr Munro “in a state of alarm and apprehension of physical harm” and “did extort a sum of money from him by threats”, at the flat, the court heard.

Souter, McGowan and Stewart, of Dundee, deny dealing cocaine from the same flat between July 1 2023 and January 11 2024.

McGowan, of Aberdeen, who was said to be on bail at the time, is also accused of dealing class C drug Bromazolam between July 1 2023 and January 11 2024 at both Dundee addresses.

She is also accused of possession of cannabis, and class C drugs Zopiclone and Pregabalin on January 11, 2024.

El-Nakla is the brother of Mr Yousaf’s wife, Nadia El-Nakla.

The trial, before Judge Lady Drummond, continues.