Ethan Lynch and Vincent Waretini pleaded not guilty to alleged violent kidnapping
A duo will face trial accused of kidnapping a man and torturing him for hours with weapons - including a baseball bat and blowtorch.
North & North East
Don't miss out on the headlines from North & North East. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A duo will stand trial accused of holding a man hostage in a car and assaulting him, including setting fire to his hair with a blow torch.
Ethan Joseph Lynch, 32, and Vincent Tai Waretini, 29, pleaded not guilty to all charges in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Tuesday, charged with the violent hostage situation.
During Mr Lynch’s bail application last month, the court heard he and Mr Waretini attended at the alleged victim’s Hope Valley home on June 10 around 8pm.
Mr Waretini confronted the alleged victim, who was known to him and there was a verbal altercation.
“The complainant was essentially coerced to get in the car with Mr Lynch, Mr Waretini and another unknown male,” the prosecutor alleged.
The court heard the group drove around for a couple of hours with the alleged victim in the back seat with Mr Lynch.
“During this time the complainant was assaulted by Mr Lynch,” the prosecutor alleged.
The court heard the alleged assaults involved the man being put in a headlock, punched to the face and hit with the end of a baseball bat.
The prosecutor said he was also allegedly threatened to be stabbed with a knife.
“At some point a blow torch device was put on his hair and some of his hair caught fire,” the prosecutor said.
“Mr Lynch also tried to use a spray can to spray the complainant’s face.”
The alleged victim was eventually able to escape from the car and get assistance from police.
After a manhunt for Mr Waretini he was arrested in July and remains in custody.
Mr Lynch, of Para Hills, and Mr Waretini, of Munno Para West, pleaded not guilty in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Tuesday to kidnapping and multiple counts of assault with a weapon.
Mr Lynch represented an Adelaide gym in several boxing bouts.
Magistrate Roderick Jensen committed Mr Lynch and Mr Waretini to the District Court in March for arraignment.
Alleged murderer’s plea over mother and son’s death
A man charged with murdering a beloved mother and her son twelve months ago has formally answered the allegations in court.
Dad killed in school-run horror crash identified
A dad has been remembered after he died while dropping his two children to school in a devastating crash in Adelaide’s north.