Rob Ford's brother-in-law claims a jailhouse beating that left his teeth and leg shattered was meant to intimidate him into staying quiet about Ford's crack-cocaine and alcohol abuse. The brother-in-law, Scott MacIntyre, filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against Ford, the Minister of Correctional Service, and his alleged attacker.

According to the suit, MacIntyre was assaulted in 2012 by Aeden Petros, a 300-pound former football player who was coached by Rob Ford. Petros, along with several other inmates, allegedly threatened MacIntyre a number of times before the March 22, 2012 attack in the Toronto West Detention Center's shower.

"They wanted to know if I was going to do the right thing – was I going to keep my mouth shut [about Rob Ford]," Mr. MacIntyre told The Globe and Mail, adding that they said "there is no use in bringing Rob into this; what's done behind closed doors stays behind closed doors."

According to the lawsuit, Ford conspired with an aide about whether to have MacIntyre "beaten or killed" during a meeting last year. Video from that meeting, according to the lawsuit, leaked onto the internet; if true, that solves the mystery of who Ford was ranting about killing in a video published by the Toronto Star in November.

The prison is investigating the beating, and an official speaking on condition of anonymity confirmed that Petros was an inmate at the facility when MacIntyre was attacked. Ford didn't respond to the Globe's request for comment but he called allegations that he played a role in the beating "far fetched" and "way out there" in an interview with the Toronto Sun. Ford's lawyer says the suit is without "fact or foundation."

[Image via AP]