Toronto Mayor Rob Ford accused of being behind jailhouse beating

TORONTO, Jan. 30 (UPI) -- Toronto Mayor Rob Ford ordered a jailhouse beating of a former family friend to keep him quiet about the mayor's drug and alcohol abuse, a lawsuit alleges.

In the $3.6 million lawsuit, Scott MacIntyre, once the common-law spouse of Ford's sister, Kathy, alleged the mayor, a former high school football coach, planned the attack with his former assistant coach and used one of his former football players to carry it out, the Toronto Star reported Wednesday.

MacIntyre alleges the attack was mentioned in last year's "murder rant video," bought by the Star, that portrays an enraged Ford vowing to kill someone, saying, "I'm gonna kill that [expletive] guy. I'm telling you, it's first-degree murder."

MacIntyre is suing Ford, former football player Aedan Petros and former assistant coach Payman Aboodowleh, as well as the provincial corrections ministry for failing to keep him safe while in jail awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to threatening to kill Ford in January 2012.

Ford lawyer Dennis Morris denied the mayor conspired to attack MacIntyre.

"It's very irresponsible and spurious to say he did," Morris said.

Ford has not commented on the allegations.

In the lawsuit, MacIntyre said he was attacked in the shower in March 2012 and sustained a broken leg, facial lacerations and dental damage. He alleged the prison, despite having cameras in the shower area, did not come to his aid and didn't transfer him to a hospital for nearly 36 hours. He was released from prison in September 2012.

Morris said there was no "fact or foundation" to MacIntyre's lawsuit, PostMedia News reported.

Asked why people should believe the mayor, who lost some credibility after admitted to using crack cocaine and abusing alcohol, Morris said, "I dispute that. He has tremendous credibility."

Morris is Ford's criminal attorney, the Star said. Ford will be represented by a civil attorney in the MacIntyre suit.