Abuse and threats after trio face court charged with kidnapping woman at gunpoint and putting her in a car boot
Supporters of three people accused of a violent gunpoint robbery and kidnapping have lashed out and spat on media crews before one threatened: “I will put you in a car boot also.”
Police & Courts
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A woman allegedly kidnapped at gunpoint called triple-0 while tied up in the boot of a car on Saturday morning, leading to a dramatic rescue, three arrests, a manhunt and chaos outside a court hearing.
Two men and a woman have been arrested over the kidnapping and faced court on Monday where they did not apply for bail and were remanded behind bars.
In ugly scenes outside court after their appearance, supporters of the charged trio abused and spat on media crews.
A woman, 23, of Elizabeth Grove, was arrested at the scene and last night charged with assault. She was bailed to appear in court next week.
Detectives will also interview the teenage son of one accused.
In an expletive-laden tirade, the boy, 17, of Salisbury North, told reporters: “I will put you in a boot. F... off dog”.
Police are hunting for a fourth suspect over the kidnapping.
Police say the victim met one of the accused in Para Hills overnight on Friday. She was threatened with a gun and forced to drive a Mitsubishi Verada sedan to a home on Magor St in Elizabeth Park.
She was then taken inside and allegedly assaulted before being tied up and placed in the boot of the Mitsubishi, which was parked in the driveway.
Just before 1am on Saturday, the woman called triple-0 and provided authorities with vague details of her location while still in the boot.
Police say she had suffered several injuries, including a fractured eye socket.
Officers rescued the woman before entering the Elizabeth Park home, where they arrested two men and a woman – all known to the victim.
Peter Slavin-Molloy, 39, of Para Hills, Joel Williams, 33, of Valley View and Tuesday Holly Thomas, 33, did not apply for bail during a brief Elizabeth Magistrates Court hearing on Monday.
Police prosecutor Brevet Sergeant Robyn Crack told the court the case was linked to “robbery-type offences”.
Thomas fought tears as she appeared via video link. Her co-accused failed to appear.
Slavin-Molloy and Williams have yet to plead to aggravated detain a person to commit indictable offence, false imprisonment, aggravated cause harm with intent, aggravated assault, and threaten to kill or endanger.
Thomas is charged with false imprisonment, as well as aggravated counts of causing harm with intent, two of assault and threaten to kill or endanger life.
Magistrate Mark Semmens remanded the trio in custody to face court again in October.
One Magor St resident said the incident was “heartbreaking”.
“It’s really upsetting. It’s heartbreaking to hear knowing that there’s someone is out there who can possibly do that to women,” she said.
She said her partner woke up in the early hours of Saturday morning to see detectives and crime-scene vans swarming the street.
She knocked on the door on Sunday to check on the resident, who is one of the accused, but there was no answer.
Another nearby resident said he woke up at 12.30am to the sounds of a screaming woman.
“Security vision shows around 12.30am a car reversing into the house and that’s when we heard the screaming,” he said.
“I went back to sleep but I soon found out what happened the next day. I didn’t realise how serious it was.”
Police found the victim’s purse, clothing and jewellery inside the house, while they also seized a replica handgun.
The kidnapped woman was treated at the Lyell McEwin Hospital.
SA Police urge anyone who saw a black Mitsubishi sedan with registration WUA612 in the northern suburbs between Friday 7pm and Saturday 1am to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.