Shanae Heers pleads guilty to false imprisonment, robbery

A vulnerable Corio woman has pleaded guilty to her part in luring a man to her home, where he was held at gunpoint and robbed.

Shanae Heers in 2022. Heers pleaded guilty in November 2024 to false imprisonment, robbery and drug possession. Picture: Supplied.

A Corio woman lured a man she met online to her home with promises of sex for money. When he arrived he was robbed.

Shanae Heers, 22, appeared in the County Court at Geelong on Tuesday and pleaded guilty to four charges, single counts of false imprisonment and robbery and two drug possession charges for cannabis and ice.

The charges stem from an incident in December 2021, in which Heers, then 19, and a co-accused, Jessey Frith, then 22, lured a man to her Corio home on the pretence of a sex-for-money arrangement and robbed him.

Crown prosecutor Andrew Moore told the court Heers and the victim began corresponding on the social media platform Locanto on December 15, 2021, with an agreement made for the victim to pay Heers for sex.

Heers and Frith had already agreed to rob him and when the victim arrived Frith was introduced as Heers’ brother.

Later, the victim went to leave after Heers and Frith became agitated, sensing a “rapid increase in tension”.

Frith responded by producing an imitation handgun and threatening to shoot the man in the knee.

The court heard Heers was not aware Frith had the weapon, and she told him to put it away as the victim pleaded with Frith not to hurt him.

Heers told the victim he was not going to be hurt, before Frith took the man’s wallet and demanded he drive them to an ATM to get more money.

The victim drove to Corio Village and had to assist Heers in withdrawing $100 after she was unable to withdraw money from the ATM.

While they were at the ATM, Frith abandoned his accomplice, driving off in the victim’s car.

For his part in the crime, Frith pleaded guilty and was jailed for two years in December 2022.

Heers’ defence lawyer, Sandra Wendlandt, told the court her client was a “vulnerable young woman” who had experienced “turbulence” in her life.

Ms Wendlandt made the case for a community corrections order (CCO), a position supported by the prosecution.

The court heard Heers had an intellectual disability, and that the period since she was charged had been “very challenging” for the young mother.

Ms Wendlandt said while the age difference between Heers and her co-accused wasn’t huge, the imbalance was “compounded” by Heers’ disability.

Judge Gerard Mullaly said that while Heers was involved in the crimes, she was a “lesser player” and her moral culpability was moderated by her “youth and immaturity ”, as well as her disability.

He said the matter was “too serious” for an adjourned undertaking but told Heers he would not jail her, stating “every effort” needed to be made to rehabilitate her.

“There’s nothing in the material which would, in my view, stand in the way of a corrections order,” Judge Mullaly said.

The court heard a “comprehensive” neuropsychological report had been prepared, however Heers’ still needed to be assessed for a community corrections order.

Judge Mullaly encouraged Heers’ to apply for NDIS support, stating there was “an enormous number of people who are eligible … that would be behind her in need”.

Heers will reappear in court in February.

Originally published as Shanae Heers pleads guilty to false imprisonment, robbery