Michael Stewart punched Micaela Jennings so hard he “broke her face” during revenge abduction
A woman who was abducted off the street and stuffed in a car boot had her nightmare continue after a man with bikie links punched her so hard he “broke her face”.
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A father-of-four who punched a vulnerable woman so hard it “broke her face” during her terrifying abduction has asked the court to spare him jail.
Michael Geoffrey Stewart, 37 became entangled in Joshua Barry’s sinister revenge plan, alongside Mathew Pirri, 40, Reon Gardiner, 42, Scott Harrison, 36, and Aaron Davies, 32.
Rob Walker, for the prosecution, told the District Court on Friday bikie threats were used in the terrifying hostage ordeal, which 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.
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 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.
Sam McDonough, for Stewart, told the District Court on Friday his role in the offending was “pointless and senseless violence on a vulnerable person”.
“He punches her in the face so hard it breaks her face,” Judge Liesl Kudelka replied.
The court heard Stewart became involved in the “party scene” while working FIFO and started taking drugs, which led him to the co-offenders.
Mr McDonough said the father-of-four was rehabilitating from his drug problem and asked Judge Kudelka to spare him immediate jail.
Mr Walker told the court there was evidence that Stewart has associations with outlaw motorcycle gangs, after they found a photo of him wearing colours in November 2019.
“That was part of the threats that Mr Stewart issued when he assaulted her,” he said.
The men will face court again next month.
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