Benson James Winkler, 28, forces drug acquaintance to sign over vehicle in daylong abduction

A Russell Island man was bashed, abducted, held captive, forced to buy drugs and had his parents’ lives threatened all in one day that started with a punch to the forehead.

A serial criminal will spend his birthday in jail for the 14th time after terrorising a man in an hours-long abduction, bashing and threatening ordeal on Russell Island.

Benson James Winkler, 28, was visibly upset when he did not receive the immediate parole release he was after at his Cleveland Magistrates Court appearance on Tuesday.

The Russell Island man pleaded guilty to more than a dozen charges.

Most serious among them was charges of deprivation of liberty, common assault, threatening violence, unlawful use of vehicle, demanding property with menaces with intent to steal and driving while disqualified by a court.

The court heard a Russell Island man’s day of terror started when his acquaintance Winkler punched him on the forehead at 9.30am on July 17 last year, claiming the victim had been careless with a syringe used to shoot up drugs.

An “aggressive” Winkler then threatened to burn his victim’s parents’ house down should he not comply with a series of escalating demands.

Winkler forced the man to drive to a caravan where he would be held captive for 45 minutes with an associate of the defendant.

Once there the victim copped another punch to the forehead from Winkler before he was forcibly driven to an IGA where $80 of the victim’s money would be stolen to buy goods.

Thereafter Winkler forced the man to another property where he and an associate, both armed with weapons, forced the victim to sign over his vehicle, which he did.

The horror continued when Winkler forced the victim to purchase “two points” (grams) of meth and 50 grams in cannabis.

The defendant said he would kill his parents should he blab, the court heard.

Benson James Winkler, 28, pleaded guilty at Cleveland Magistrates Court. Picture: Facebook.

Winkler was ultimately arrested at 7.15pm when was found in possession of 0.05 grams in meth and a knife with which he issued his threats.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Lauren Collins said the offending represented a high and escalating criminality with prison the only possible sentence available.

The court heard Winkler had a 12-page criminal and three-page traffic history and had spent 13 birthdays behind bars.

The offending was aggravated for occurring while on probation, an intensive corrections order served in the community and parole.

Defence solicitor Jane Bruxner said no one else had been charged for the abduction event, he had taken full responsibility for it and had no violent offending on his history.

Ms Bruxner noted Winkler had served 227 days in pre-sentence custody under particularly challenging circumstances characterised by frequent lockdowns.

Winkler told the court he had avoided using drugs during his latest stint in custody for the first time, had finally “matured” and turned a corner.

Magistrate Deborah Vasta congratulated Winkler on achieving a “new headspace” but noted his day of “incredible drug-fuelled” offending would have “terrorised” his victim.

Winkler was sentenced to three years’ prison with an immediate parole eligibility date.

Due to current parole review backlogs he would likely face months in jail before a hearing, the court heard.

Winkler was further ordered to pay his victim $600 in compensation, placed on a non-contact order with his victim and disqualified from driving for six years.