St Marys kidnapping: Fredericks Taufua accused of $4m ransom bid
A Plumpton father who regularly attends Hillsong Church has been charged over allegedly kidnapping and seriously assaulting a western Sydney businessman.
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A Plumpton father who regularly attends Hillsong Church and allegedly kidnapped a businessman at gunpoint and held him for a $4 million ransom, will remain behind bars.
Fredericks Sone Taufua, 36, faced Mt Druitt Local Court today charged over the alleged 24-hour kidnapping and detention of St Marys automotive businessman Pierre Kassouf in November 2019.
Police allege Mr Taufua and a second man stormed Kassouf’s St Marys Automotive Smash Repairs workshop on Links Rd, St Marys just after midday on November 25.
It’s alleged the men pistol whipped Mr Kassouf, 36, to the point of unconsciousness, causing the butt of the gun to break away.
Police say he was found bound in a shed on a property in Shanes Park by real estate agents the next day and was taken to hospital in a critical condition.
Mr Kassouf suffered a fractured skull and severe injuries to his head and body.
In court, Mr Taufua’s defence solicitor Elia Tabchouri struck out at a “weak prosecution case” and took issue with police reliance on CCTV footage and DNA allegedly found on a baseball cap.
Mr Tabchouri claimed the CCTV footage allegedly linking Mr Taufua to the crime was “unclear” and that the cap found at the scene “could’ve been worn by anyone”.
The court heard Mr Taufua had allegedly tried to avoid being picked up by police, changing his phone number and address around the time of the kidnapping.
The prosecution said clothing had been seized from Mr Taufua’s home on the morning of his arrest, which allegedly matched clothing worn during the kidnapping.
Mr Taufua who works as a concreter, lives with his three sisters and teenage son and attends Hillsong Church.
The court heard Mr Taufua had a lengthy criminal record, which included one serious personal violence conviction.
He was charged with a string of offences after police raided his Plumpton home at 6am on Tuesday.
He is yet to enter a plea to three charges, including taking/detaining in company with intent to get advantage while occasioning actual bodily harm, reckless grievous bodily harm in company and using an unauthorised pistol.
He was refused bail to face Mt Druitt Local Court again on April 22.