Cringila: Benjamin Walker, Tara Clare, Ilo Ilievski accused of kidnapping
Three people have appeared in court accused of kidnapping and attacking a man after an alleged $9000 drug deal went wrong.
Illawarra Star
Don't miss out on the headlines from Illawarra Star. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Young woman admits role in alleged party drug syndicate
- Two men refused bail after $7m worth of cannabis allegedly seized
Police claim a drug-deal gone wrong was the catalyst for a violent alleged kidnapping which saw a 28-year-old man brutally attacked with a tomahawk.
Benjamin Walker, 43, Tara Clare, 35 and Ilo Ilievski, 42, were arrested and charged with kidnap in company with intent to commit serious indictable offence occasioning actual bodily harm on Tuesday evening, after they allegedly detained and attacked a 28-year-old man in the Illawarra, depriving him of food and water and locking him in a laundry crawlspace for hours.
Clare was granted bail in Wollongong Local Court on Wednesday, while Walker and Ilievski were refused release by Magistrate Claire Girotto.
In documents tendered to the court, police allege the 28-year-old man and his 29-year-old mate were enlisted by the trio to travel to Sydney to pick up three ounces of meth from a dealer on Monday.
The pair collected the $9000 drug haul and returned to the Illawarra, where they allegedly discovered they’d been duped, and that the meth was in fact a bag of salt.
Upon their return around 12.30pm, it’s alleged the pair met up with Walker, Clare and another man at Cringila service station, where they owned up to the salt/meth mixup and took responsibility for the $9000 debt.
Police allege Walker and the other man demanded the 28-year-old and his mate follow them back to Clare’s home on Montieth Street, Cringila to discuss payment.
The pair drove to Clare’s home in the 28-year-old’s silver van and were “immediately detained upon entry”, according to court documents.
It’s alleged the pair were told they wouldn’t be let free until the debt was paid, before Walker allegedly threatened the 28-year-old man, telling him: “I’m going to chop you up and then go to your parents if you go to the police.”
The alleged victim was forced into what police describe as a “small crawl space” off the laundry, before the trio took his phone. The other man was allowed to walk around the unit, where police allege he made calls to family and friends to get his hands on the cash.
In court documents, police allege after several hours in the space, the 28-year-old was let out and led to a common carpark at the back of Clare’s unit block.
Police allege in the carpark, Walker pulled out a tomahawk and smashed the blunt end against the 28-year-old’s knee, while another man punched him in the head several times.
Walker allegedly made further threats saying if he didn't come up with the money he would be “chopped up” with the tomahawk.
Inside Clare’s unit, police allege the other man made frantic calls to his family and told them he was detained, before Ilievski allegedly arrived at the home and began trying to mediate between him and Walker.
The man’s mother eventually agreed to transfer $4000 to his bank account before she contacted police.
Police allege once the money hit the 29-year-old’s bank account, he was forced to transfer it to Clare, who then withdrew it at a nearby ANZ branch.
In the documents, police allege that around 3.30pm on Tuesday the men were released, however left their van at the Monteith Street unit.
Police began surveillance at the home shortly after where they allegedly spotted Walker driving the van with Clare in the front passenger seat.
About 5pm police allege another car followed the van back to Montieth Street. Police stopped that vehicle around 6pm where it’s alleged Clare, Walker Ilievski and another man exited the car. In the documents, police allege Ilievski had $4500 hidden on his body, and he, Clare and Walker were placed under arrest. It’s also alleged police found a tomahawk in the car before a raid on Clare’s Monteith Street home allegedly uncovered the 28-year-old man’s phone.
In court on Wednesday, Clare’s defence lawyer argued she had not been part of the initial ‘kidnapping’ and was asleep at her property when the 28-year-old man was allegedly detained.
Magistrate Girotto agreed to release her on bail, noting it didn’t appear she was involved in any of the alleged violence toward the man.
As a condition of her bail she will be required to report to police everyday.
Each of the trio will return to court in July.