Eight SA criminal couples who worked together to commit their crimes
From a couple’s violent servo robbery to a drug-dealing police officer feeding his wife’s addiction, these partners in crime faced the consequences together in court.
North & North East
Don't miss out on the headlines from North & North East. Followed categories will be added to My News.
From a violent couple seeking revenge to a police officer supplying money to his drug-addicted ex-wife, there are plenty of duos who found themselves in trouble with the law.
Here are South Australia’s partners in crime who faced court recently and the consequences they faced.
Rhys Johns and Jessica Pitt
A woman who involved herself in a $30,000 drug dealing enterprise narrowly avoided jail, while her ex-lover was locked up for several years.
Jessica Alice Pitt, 24, had lost herself and fallen in love with the wrong bad boy, Rhys Aaron Johns, 30, when an online gambling win led to a significant meth purchase.
During sentencing, the District Court heard police stopped Johns’ car in April 2020.
They found 18g of methamphetamine, valued at $5400, 82g of fantasy, plastic resealable bags and digital scales.
Police then searched the couple’s Parafield Gardens residence in January 2021 and found a bumbag on the roof with 56g of methamphetamine.
They also found a 27g of methamphetamine in the shed, with both amounts valued at $30,000.
Cash, tick lists and multiple mobile phones were also located, with text messages revealing drug dealing sales.
Pitt was then detected with 15g of methamphetamine, valued at $7500 in April 2021.
Johns and Pitt, both of Parafield Gardens, pleaded guilty to drug trafficking.
Judge Liesl Kudelka sentenced Johns to five years and six months jail, with a non-parole period of three years and three months.
The sentence was backdated to January 7, 2021.
Judge Kudelka sentenced Pitt to four years jail, with a non-parole period of two years.
Due to her rehabilitation efforts and employment, the sentence was suspended on a three-year good behaviour bond.
Daniel Baker and Vanessa Brewster
A couple who detained a pregnant woman for 13 hours and bashed and robbed her have remained dating while in custody, a court heard.
Daniel Peter Baker, 33, and Vanessa Renae Brewster, 36, were jailed for their ringleader roles after the victim’s mother had to pay a $1000 ransom for her daughter’s safe return.
Their accomplices, Rex Lyall Clough, 33, Sharon Anne Clancy, 54, and Nicole Marie Bailie, 28, have also admitted their roles in the terrifying ordeal.
During sentencing, the District Court heard the victim’s relationship with Baker soured after he demanded money from her.
Baker sent her photos from outside her father’s house, demanding she hand over her car or he would take her father’s vehicle.
When the victim went to Baker’s Elizabeth East house on December 30, 2020, she was led inside by him and Brewster.
Over 13 hours, the victim was assaulted and various threats were made.
The victim was then forced to sign car transfer papers to Baker’s name and her jewellery and phone were also stolen.
The court heard Clough arrived at the house, wearing knuckledusters and clothing with an outlaw motorcycle gang logo.
“You, Mr Baker told (the victim) that Mr Clough was an enforcer and he was going to make sure you got your $1000 back,” Judge Soulio said.
A demand was then made to the victim’s mother to pay $1000 if she ever wanted to see her daughter again.
Clough collected the payment from a separate location.
Judge Soulio sentenced Baker to five years jail, with a non-parole period of two and a half years.
Brewster was sentenced to three years and four months jail, with a non-parole period of one year and eight months.
The sentences were backdated to January 3, 2021, meaning Brewster is eligible for parole.
Steven Bell and Anna Resnyansky
A drug-dealing former couple caught in a hotel room with $40,000 of meth and tick lists have asked a court to spare them jail.
Steven Thomas Bell and Anna Resnyansky are both attempting to rehabilitate after their short-lived relationship was fuelled by drugs, the court heard.
A prosecutor told the District Court on Tuesday police found 58g of methamphetamine in an Adelaide hotel room on June 30, 2020.
They also found 14.4g of methamphetamine in a car and 2.35g in Bell’s bum bag.
The court heard the methamphetamine was valued between $29,000 and $43,750 if sold by the gram.
The prosecutor said it was evident by the large amount of drugs, the drug-dealing messages and tick lists the duo were motivated by profit and immediate jail was the only appropriate penalty.
Bell, 32, of Macclesfield, and Resnyansky, 38, of Woodville North, pleaded guilty to two counts of drug trafficking.
Stacey Carter, for Bell, told the court he met the co-accused, who was also a drug user, and they started a “very short-lived” relationship.
“He engaged in a relationship with her purely because she had access to drugs,” she said.
The duo will be sentenced at a later date.
Michael Jabbour and Alysha Frencken
A young couple’s plan to use a birthday celebration to make money quickly went awry after staff became suspicious of them.
Michael Jabbour, 31, was running the drug enterprise alongside his partner at the time, Alysha Frencken, to fund their habits.
The District Court heard Jabbour and Frencken were staying in a room at the St Francis Winery at Old Reynella in August 2020.
“Staff from the winery made various observations about you and two other males in the gaming area who appeared to be spending large amounts of money,” Judge Emily Telfer said during sentencing.
“The staff member also received information from a member of the public about drug dealing.”
CCTV footage revealed there had been frequent visits to Jabbour’s room by people who were not staying there.
Police arrived and searched Jabbour and found methamphetamine and a tick list on him.
They then searched the room and found Frencken who told police there was “juice” in the room and she had a couple of “baggies” in her handbag.
Police found 108g of GHB, also known as fantasy, plastic resealable bags and tick lists.
Jabbour pleaded guilty to multiple counts of drug trafficking.
Frencken, who pleaded guilty to three counts of drug trafficking, was sentenced in December 2021 for her role in the offending.
Judge Telfer sentenced Jabbour to three years and four months jail, with a non-parole period of one year and eight months.
Simon Caldwell and Renae O’Bryan
A father was locked up after the Whyalla drug dealing business he was the driving force behind was exposed by police.
Simon Andrew Caldwell, 47, turned to using methamphetamine as a coping mechanism and joined forces to sell the product with his former partner, Renae Elma O’Bryan.
The District Court heard police found over 7.39g of a substance, which contained 2g of pure methamphetamine, at Whyalla Norrie in October 2020.
Police analysed two phones and found messages consistent with O’Bryan and Caldwell selling methamphetamine for months.
The father-of-two pleaded guilty to two counts of drug trafficking.
O’Bryan, who pleaded guilty to drug trafficking, was sentenced last month to three years and five months jail, with a non-parole period of two years.
During O’Bryan’s sentencing, the court heard she took calls and packaged drugs for sale but was not the driving force behind the business.
Due to her rehabilitation efforts and minimal role in the offending, the sentence was suspended on a $100, two-year good behaviour bond.
The court heard Caldwell turned to using methamphetamine as a coping mechanism after he lost his job and his wife left him.
Judge Press sentenced Caldwell to three years and five months jail, with a non-parole period of one year and nine months.
William Cluney and Phoebe-Lee Keenihan
A man once hailed a hero after rescuing his family from a burning fire had his life spiral out of control after his relationship broke down and he turned to drug dealing.
William Geoffrey Cluney, 46, entangled his teenage girlfriend, Phoebe-Lee Rose Keenihan in his enterprise after she hid his meth in her underwear during a raid.
During Cluney’s sentencing, Judge Rauf Soulio told the District Court police observed a drug transaction at Brickworks Torrensville on May 28, 2020.
Police searched Cluney and found an ice pipe secreted in his underwear, as well as fantasy and methamphetamine in his backpack.
Keenihan was also searched and police found 135g of methamphetamine, 83g of which was pure, hidden in her underwear.
The methamphetamine was valued between $13,500 and $40,000.
The court heard there were drug transaction messages, photos of drugs and tick lists on Cluney’s phone.
Cluney, of Seaton, and Keenihan, of Mansfield Park, pleaded guilty to drug trafficking.
Keenihan, now 21, was convicted and sentenced to a $1000, one-year good behaviour bond.
Judge Soulio sentenced Cluney to three years and eight months jail, with a non-parole period of one year and nine months.
The sentence was backdated to October 23, 2020.
Robert Abdulla and Rebecca Hutchins
A mother who punched a service station attendant in the face during a “terribly frightening” robbery alongside her footballer lover will have her first taste of jail.
Rebecca Rose Hutchins, 35, and Robert John Abdulla’s lives were spiralling out of control when they committed the violent drug-fuelled robbery.
The District Court heard Hutchins and Abdulla, 32, entered the Belair On The Run service station in the early hours of August 7.
Abdulla, who brandished a tyre iron at the victim, demanded she open the till.
The court heard Hutchins then jumped over the counter and started filling a rubbish bin with cigarettes.
When the victim tried to retrieve her stolen phone to keep photos of her children, she was punched in the face by Hutchins.
Abdulla and Hutchins fled with cash and cigarettes, valued at $5684.
Hutchins, of South Hummocks and Abdulla, of Holden Hill, pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery.
The court heard Hutchins moved into a house with other drug users and met Abdulla.
Timothy McGrath, for Hutchins, previously told the court they had a six-month “intimate but destructive” relationship.
Judge Heffernan sentenced Hutchins to four years and one month jail, with a non-parole period of one year and 10 months.
Abdulla was sentenced to five years and 10 months jail, with a non-parole period of three years and two months.
His sentence was backdated to August 13, 2021.
Daniel and Natasha Schatto
A police officer who was jailed for drug trafficking after supplying money to his drug-addicted ex-wife so she could support her habit was released following a successful appeal.
Daniel Schatto, 46, was jailed for three and a half years with a non-parole period of 22 months starting in September on a single charge of drug trafficking.
In December, the Court of Appeal unanimously allowed an appeal against Schatto’s sentence, ordering he be released on a suspended sentence.
During submissions in both the Court of Appeal and the District Court, Nick Healy, for Schatto, argued that his client had been misguided in his attempt to help his former partner, Natasha Schatto.
Police found 3.38g of methamphetamine in a makeup bag in Ms Schatto’s possession on April 19, 2020 when they stopped her car as it entered Renmark.
Police had received a tip-off that she would be entering the town with drugs in the vehicle
An analysis of the ex-wife’s bank account showed transfers of $200 on April 13 and two transfers of $500 on April 14 and 15.
Schatto admitted that the money had been sent to his ex-wife so she could buy drugs, but he argued that he thought the drugs were for personal use.
By the time Ms Schatto was arrested, she had already sold a gram of the drug.
Ms Schatto was spared an immediate jail sentence for drug trafficking, while Schatto was jailed.
The Court of Appeal, consisting of President Mark Livesey and Justices Sam Doyle and Sophie David, said that Schatto had a higher moral culpability because he had been a police officer at the time.
However, the court concluded that the hardship to Schatto’s children and the fact the offending occurred over a limited period during which he was trying to appease his former spouse led them to find reasons to suspend the sentence.
More Coverage
‘I tried 15 mins of hypnotherapy a day for IBS and it’s life-changing’
Joanna could only book afternoon flights because she spent her mornings on the toilet with crippling IBS – now her life isn’t dictated by her chronic condition.
Teens nabbed after wild pursuit in stolen car
Three teenagers have been arrested after an alleged wild pursuit in a stolen car, where they travelled up to speeds of 180km/h.