Jackson Douglas robbed and kidnapped man during Tinder date with woman

A Riverina teenager bundled the man into his own car at knifepoint and said “as long as you stay calm, don’t scream ... you will be fine” before robbing him of $10.

A Mount Austin man threatened a 29-year-old man with a knife, robbed him and kidnapped him after the man was falsely lured to a home under the pretence of a Tinder date.

Jackson Douglas, 19, pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery armed with an offensive weapon in Wagga Local Court after kidnapping and robbing a man who arranged to meet up at a woman’s home.

The victim matched with a woman on Tinder, and arranged to meet on July 31 last year, according to court documents.

However, shortly after arriving at a Mount Austin home just after midnight, he was confronted by two men.

A man was robbed after he arranged to meet with a woman he met on Tinder.

Douglas approached the victim with a serrated steak knife and searched the victim’s pockets, taking a $10 note, a bag of cannabis and his car keys.

The teen then told the victim he was going to take his car, and “use it for awhile”.

He forced the victim into the car and said “as long as you stay calm, don’t scream and don’t draw any attention, you will be fine.”

After driving around, he was involved in a police pursuit with police which ended when he lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a sign and water meter.

Jackson Douglas was sentenced in Wagga Local Court after kidnapping and robbing a man. Picture: Michael Frogley

Douglas faced Wagga Local Court on August 20 for sentencing, when the court heard he had a troubled past, and when his father passed away at aged 11 he started to ‘”hang out with the wrong crowd” and experiment with alcohol and drugs use from the age of 11.

Douglas progressed to using methylamphetamine at age 14 and was using up to 2 grams per day and then committing crimes to fund his drug habits, the court heard.

He told the court he converted to Islam at 15 years as the bible “did not make sense but Koran made sense when he read it”.

Douglas told the court that he did not feel bad for the victim and that according to his religion everything happened for a reason. His situation, he said, was just anther test.

Judge Gordon Lerve told the court Douglas has been assessed as being a “high risk” of reoffending.

Judge Lerve also said Douglas was entitled to a finding of special circumstances based on his mental health difficulties, the need for rehabilitation and his youth.

Douglas was sentenced to term of imprisonment for four years and three months, backdated from January 31.

He is eligible for parole from October 1, 2023.