Joshua Barry involved five other men in revenge abduction of Micaela Jennings

After a ‘high profile’ chef had his car stolen by a woman he spent the night with, he entangled five men in his revenge abduction where she was tormented over 23 hours.

A former head chef who turned to drugs to deal with the pressures of the job involved accomplices in his sinister plan to abduct a woman, stuff her in a boot and bash her, a court heard.

Joshua Barry, 34, was fuelled by revenge when he entangled Mathew Pirri, 40, Michael Geoffrey Stewart, 37, Reon Gardiner, 42, Scott Harrison, 36, and Aaron Davies, 32, in his sinister plans.

Rob Walker, for the prosecution, told the District Court on Tuesday the terrifying hostage ordeal was premeditated, degrading and lasted close to 24 hours.

During the men’s trial, the court heard the victim, Micaela Jennings, 29, spent an evening with Barry in November 2019, prior to the offending.

“She waited until Mr Barry fell asleep before taking his keys and stealing his car,” Mr Walker said.

Joshua Barry was fuelled by revenge when he orchestrated the plan to abduct and bash Micaela Jennings. Photo: Facebook

Reon Gardiner, Scott Harrison and Mathew Pirri were involved in the revenge plan. Photo: Facebook

Barry orchestrated his revenge, with the court hearing a series of text messages of the group’s plans to abduct Ms Jennings.

Ms Jennings took the train with Davies on December 7, 2019, unknowingly shadowed by Harrison.

When they got off the train at Exeter, a car driven by Pirri pulled up next to her.

Harrison sprayed Ms Jennings with pepper spray and repeatedly hit her, before shoving her in the car.

Mr Walker said they delivered Ms Jennings to Barry who placed her in the boot of his car bound up in duct tape and brought her to Stewart’s house.

“Mr Stewart punched Ms Jennings so hard that he fractured her skull,” he said.

Mr Walker said Barry then messaged Gardiner saying “I have the Queen, need to clean her up”, before driving to his Victor Harbor house and forcing her to stay the night.

The next day Barry drove her to her boyfriend’s storage shed at Port Adelaide, threatened her with a shotgun and told her to steal his belongings.

Mr Walker said Barry then “ultimately lost his nerve” and dropped her off at her mother’s house.

The court heard Barry was also found with 8g of methamphetamine.

The jury unanimously found Davies, of no fixed address, and Barry, of Newport, guilty of false imprisonment and causing harm and Gardiner, of Hindmarsh Island, guilty of false imprisonment.

Their co-accused, Harrison, of Taperoo, and Pirri, of Two Wells, previously pleaded guilty to false imprisonment and causing harm with intent while Stewart, of Littlehampton, pleaded guilty to causing harm reckless as to whether harm was caused.

During sentencing submissions on Tuesday, Elizabeth Mansfield, for Barry, told the court he had previously worked as the head chef for a “very high profile” Victorian restaurant and at a prominent South Australian hotel.

The court heard Barry turned to drugs to deal with the high pressure and long hours of the job and at the time of the offending was addicted to meth.

Stacey Carter, for Harrison, told the court the father-of-three spiralled after losing his parents and made a “horrific mistake” in a drug induced state.

Ms Carter said Harrison was “utterly ashamed” of his actions and had been clean from drugs for close to a year.

Robert Kane, for Gardiner, told the court he played rugby union for the Gold Coast Breakers in 2001 and also in the United Kingdom.

Mr Kane said Gardiner now worked for a concreting business and had since stopped using drugs.

The court heard Gardiner would be appealing his conviction.

James Marcus, for Davies, said he was “a homeless drug addict” at the time of the offending and was taking every substance he could get his hands on.

The court heard Davies only participated because he thought he would get some drugs as a reward.

Judge Liesl Kudelka adjourned Pirri and Stewart’s sentencing submissions until next month.