Keiran Webster placed ‘at risk’ in Holtze prison after alleged Daly Waters Hi-Way Inn kidnapping

An alleged outback kidnapper accused of forcing a man to drive him hundreds of kilometres at gunpoint has been placed under intensive surveillance inside a Territory prison.

An alleged gun-toting outback kidnapper who forced a man to drive him 300km up the highway has been placed under intensive surveillance inside the prison.

Keiran Webster was due to appear before Darwin Local Court on Monday over the alleged kidnapping at the Daly Waters Hi-Way Inn on Wednesday, November 20.

Police have alleged 26-year-old burst into a hotel room at 9pm and took another man hostage at gunpoint, forcing him to drive 276km north to Katherine.

It was alleged that as they drove Mr Webster fired the gun near his terrified driver, however no injuries were reported.

Daly Waters Hi-Way Inn. Picture: Daly Water Hi-Way Inn

The bizarre incident ended at midnight in Katherine, where the shirtless young man was arrested by four cops without incident.

CCTV appeared to show Mr Webster on Railway Terrace armed with a rifle, before he dropped it on the road and lay on the ground to surrender to police.

He was charged with aggravated assault, kidnapping for ransom, recklessly endangering life, depriving a person of their liberty, obstructing a driver, threatening to burn or explode, and a range of firearms offences.

A 26-year-old man has been arrested after he allegedly abducted a man under threat of firearms to drive him from Daly Waters to Katherine. Picture: NTPFES

On Monday Judge Stephen Geary heard Mr Webster had been placed ‘at risk’ in the Darwin Correctional Centre, meaning Corrections were concerned he would self harm or faced a real threat of being assaulted by fellow prisoners.

Defence lawyer Andrew McCowan said while his client had been ready to plead to the unrelated driving charges, however the fresh alleged offending posed a complication.

Webster faces unrelated prior charges of unlawfully using a motor vehicle, and a separate matter where the alleged unlicensed driver drove a stolen vehicle dangerously.

It was alleged after he was pulled over he failed to comply with a breath test, resisted police, and was busted with a small amount of drugs and ammunition in the car.

Mr McCowan said Webster’s other matters could still be resolved on December 19, while the kidnapping case was adjourned for a preliminary examination mention on January 29, 2025.