Baby napper Ilias Sammy Latsis asks court to strike out guilty pleas

A man who admitted abducting a baby has told a court he had no memory of pleading guilty, and can’t be anyway because he did not know the baby was there.

A man who admitted abducting a baby has now told a court he was not guilty of the crime because he did not initially realise the four-month-old was in the car.

Ilias Sammy Latsis, 37, has asked a court to strike out his pleas to the abduction charge over the May 30, 2022, incident - where he allegedly stole a Honda Jazz with the baby from outside a Klemzig deli.

On Monday, he told the court he had taken methamphetamine, cannabis and eight valium pills after his alleged offending and had little recollection of the days that followed - including a court appearance where the guilty pleas were entered on his behalf.

He said the first became aware of his guilty pleas after speaking with his sister via phone from prison “two or three days later”.

Ilias Sammy Latsis being taken to the city watch house in police custody.

“That was the first point that I was basically aware that I had plead guilty,” he said.

“The judge never asked me formally do you plead guilty, or not guilty to anything.”

Mr Latsis said it was not possible he would have instructed his former lawyer, Stephen Ey, to plead to the abduction charge.

“It’s just not a small thing abduction. I’m not pleading guilty to something I haven’t done,” he said.

He said he “vaguely” recalled Mr Ey offering an apology to the baby’s family when he appeared via video link.

Mr Latsis said he later shared a “heated” phone call with Mr Ey questioning his pleas, before contacting his current lawyer, Heidi Salvemini.

Heidi Slavemini. Picture NCA NewsWire / Emma Brasier

Stephen Ey. Picture NCA NewsWire / Emma Brasier

“That’s the only time I spoke to him that I remember speaking to him,” he said.

Mr Ey had previously told the court that Mr Latsis had given no indication he was unable to give instructions, and that he would have asked the matter be adjourned if Mr Latsis was unable to provide instructions.

On Monday, Mr Latsis told the court he recalled being woken by a STAR Group officer.

“I was up against the wall, facing the wall, my arms cuffed behind me,” he said.

Mr Latsis said he was “not guilty of abduction” and wanted to take the matter to trial.

He said he was “aware” he had stolen the car but “at no point until after the fact” was he aware that there was a child in the car.

“I did not know that there was a child in the vehicle beforehand so therefore, no, I’m not guilty of abduction so this is why I am asking, I am putting in an application to have that overturned,” he said.

“I know I didn’t go there to abduct. It was opportunistic.

“After the fact when I noticed there was a little one in the car I panicked, I parked the car and left.”

Mr Latsis returns to court in February.