North Parramatta: Pierre Serour, Joshua Brown, Isaac Leaupepe allegedly plotted kidnap

Three men allegedly plotted to sever a man’s ear and fingers while holding him hostage but the kidnapping was foiled when cops swooped on the mask-clad trio in Sydney’s west, police claim.

Three men allegedly plotted to sever a man’s ear and fingers while holding him hostage but the kidnapping was foiled when cops swooped on the mask-clad trio at North Parramatta in February, court papers allege.

The men – Pierre Serour, Joshua Brown and Isaac Leaupepe – were hit with a series of charges including participating in a criminal group contributing to criminal activity, conspiracy to commit a kidnap in company with intent to occasion actual bodily harm and installing a tracking device to find a person without consent.

Raptor Squad police charged the trio in March, weeks after Parramatta cops allegedly witnessed three balaclava-clad men running from a car in North Parramatta on February 27.

Leaupepe, 30, was arrested at the scene and Brown, 35, was detained nearby after he appeared to allegedly wipe down a car where police allegedly seized a baseball bat, duct tape, mobile phones and flexi cuffs.

Both men were taken to Parramatta Police Station, where Leaupepe man was charged with breach of bail, and Brown was charged with hindering the discovery of evidence relating to a serious indictable offence.

Police arrest alleged kidnapping conspirator Pierre Serour. Picture: NSW Police

The matter was referred to State Crime Command’s Raptor Squad who formed Strike Force Drever to investigate.

Detectives then identified a 36-year-old Carlingford man who they allege was the target of a kidnapping plot. They allegedly found a GPS tracker on his car.

A gun Serour allegedly tried to throw over the balcony of his Bankstown apartment. Picture: NSW Police

A mask was one of the items seized at Serour’s home.

Police allege the kidnapping would have been staged at Mays Hill while the conspirators would have held the victim captive at Homebush.

On the morning of March 11, officers searched a property at Mays Hill where they allegedly found disposable gloves, duct tape, cable ties and packaging for a GPS tracker.

A week later, police swooped on Serour’s unit at West Terrace in Bankstown where a dramatic arrest unfolded and he resisted arrest before attempting to dispose of two firearms over the balcony at 6.15am.

The shotguns allegedly had their serial numbers removed and Serour also possessed ammunition without having a licence or permit.

Another gun police allege Serour tried to dispose of over his unit’s balcony. Picture: NSW Police

Police allegedly seized gloves and a mask at the unit before he was eventually arrested and taken to hospital for examination to injuries he sustained during the arrest.

Police allege in court documents Serour, Leaupepe and Brown conspired to kidnap “a known person and sever their ear and fingers for financial gain”.

They allege 36-year-old Serour possessed a woman’s driver’s licence with the intention of using a tracking device to determine a location.

He allegedly dealt with $1100 suspected of being the proceeds of crime, and had 10g of amphetamine and 14g of cannabis leaf in his possession at Bankstown on March 18, the day he was arrested.

Serour was hit with 19 charges including conspiracy to commit an offence; installing/using a tracking device to locate a person without consent; armed with intent to commit an indictable offence; participating in a criminal group contributing to criminal activity; dealing with identification information to commit, facilitate commission of an indictable offence; two counts of possessing an unauthorised firearm and dealing with property proceeds of crime less than $5000.

Brown was charged with six offences including hindering the discovery of evidence, conspiracy to commit a kidnap in company with intent to occasion actual bodily harm, armed with intent to commit an indictable offence and participating in a criminal group.
Leaupepe was charged with nine offences including conspiracy to commit a kidnap in company with intent to occasion actual bodily harm, installing/using a tracking device to find a person with no consent, participating in a criminal group contributing to criminal activity, dealing with the property proceeds of crime less than $5000 and possessing counterfeit money.

The men have been remanded in custody and have not entered pleas.