Paroled kidnapper Raynor Earnshaw faked own torture to get mum to pay for drugs

A paroled kidnapper faked his own abduction to extort thousands from his own mother, with his sentencing judge saying his motive was “reprehensible”.

Raynor Earnshaw has been sentenced over faking his own kidnapping to extort $10,000 from his own mother. Picture: Channel 7

A Sydney man told his mum he’d been abducted, sodomised with a broom and kidnappers would “chop a finger off every 15 minutes” if she didn‘t sell family heirlooms to pay his ransom.

But it was all a lie to get drug money - Raynor Earnshaw was sitting at a cafe while already on parole for a real kidnapping.

Earnshaw, on Thursday, pleaded guilty to two counts of obtaining financial advantage by deception before facing sentence in the NSW District Court.

The 32-year-old was captured on CCTV at the Avocado Cafe in Brighton Le Sands, casually eating breakfast and showing associates his phone in November 2020, the court heard.

Earnshaw appeared to be physically fine as he flicked through his phone and sipped his coffee.

Raynor Earnshaw has been sentenced over faking his own kidnapping. Picture: Channel 7

But, the court heard on Thursday, he was actually firing off frantic texts and calls to his terrified mother and aunt who believed he’d been kidnapped five hours earlier.

“Seriously f*** you goodbye hey, you won‘t hear from me, I’m about to die, you don’t care,” he texted his mother at about 5am that morning asking for $5000.

Raynor Earnshaw tried to extort $10,000 from his own mother. Picture: Channel 7

“F*** you my death is on you,” Earnshaw wrote.

Earnshaw had called his mother and aunt telling them he was being held captive over a drug debt but, the court heard, he was actually just trying to scam $10,000 off his family for a purchase.

There was no debt, no kidnapping, no danger, Judge John North said on Thursday.

“It is impossible to sort the truth from the lies,” the judge said.

Raynor Earnshaw has been sentenced over faking his own kidnapping to extort $10,000 from his own mother. Picture: Channel 7

“(Earnshaw) told his mother and aunt he had actually been hurt by people holding him against his will; including being sodomised with a broomstick, his left hand broken and he had been stabbed in the torso.” the judge said.

The court heard Earnshaw sent a photo he’d found off Google showing a male torso with two puncture marks to his mother and aunt telling them he’d been stabbed.

“Thanks mum, this is the start, it’s going to be a finger every 15 minutes f*** you,” he said, calling his worried mother a “heartless c***”.

Earnshaw initially asked for $10,000 off each relative but later lowered the price to $5000, even getting unknown males to shout threats down the phone.

He warned his mother his attackers would come to her house looking for her after they had killed him.

“The facts make disturbing reading (Earnshaw suggested) he is being tortured and physically injured,” Judge North said.

“The motive was to deceive his mother and aunt to part with either $20,000 or $10,000 to purchase illicit drugs - this is not a laudable motive.”

Police were with Earnshaw’s mother from 9am, trying to find her son, when he was spotted at the cafe and approached.

He told police he was fine, just eating breakfast with some other people, before being arrested.

The court heard Earnshaw had only been out of prison for 10 weeks, on parole, when he tried out the cruel scam on his relatives.

Ironically he had been in prison for an actual kidnapping - he had helped another kidnapper to stuff a person into the boot of a car.

It was “appalling” and “reprehensible” conduct, the judge said, saying he couldn’t put much weight on Earnshaw’s remorse.

His criminal history, difficult upbringing and drug addiction did factor into the equation though.

Judge North sentenced Earnshaw to 30 months prison.

He will be eligible for release in October 2022.