Gangland boss Cornelius Price could be in a coma for 'months or years' court told

Price - who had his 40th birthday yesterday was due to stand trial with five alleged associates, Danny Bridges, 40, Mark Kavanagh, 33, Darren McClean, 36, Quincy Jarron Bramble, 33, and 38-year-old Lisa Marie Finnerty.

He is charged with conspiring to falsely imprison and blackmail two men in July 2020 while his co-defendants face similar charges.

But Price is currently in a coma with doctors unsure as to when he will come out of it, Wood Green Crown Court heard.

"He has been in the hospital for quite some time now,’ said Jason Avis, defending Price.

"He is still ventilated at the moment. In terms of his on-going treatment and diagnosis, the consultant said that it is difficult to estimate when Price is likely to wake from his coma.

"It could be months or worst case scenario is it could be years.

"I believe he has been diagnosed with a condition called limbic encephalitis."

Judge Noel Lucas has set the new trial for November 7 at the same court.

"If Mr Price turns out to be too ill to stand trial then everyone will have to think again," he said.

A pre-trial hearing was also set for July 29.

Price, of Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire, Kavanagh, of Manchester, McClean, of Cottenham, Cambridgeshire, Bridges, also of Stourport-on-Severn, Finnerty, of Lancashire,

Bramble, of Stepney Green, east London and McClean, of Cottenham, Cambridgeshire, all deny two charges of conspiracy to falsely imprison and two of conspiracy to kidnap, between July 7 and 17 last year.

McClean and Bramble alone also deny two charges of kidnap on July 8.