A Gold Coast woman jumped from a moving car before being kicked, bound and held at knifepoint by kidnappers who incorrectly thought she had stolen drugs and money.
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The 26-year-old had "the most horrific, terrifying experience", probably only escaping serious injury due to good luck, a Brisbane court has been told.
Patutahora Hakaria and Grace Brianna Dion Edmonds admitted kidnapping the woman in April last year after she was lured from her apartment by another man a month after moving to the Gold Coast.
Hakaria, now 41, grabbed the woman's wrists and hair to force her into the car about 10.30pm while Edmonds and the other man were present.
"All of this ... was motivated by the misplaced belief that she had stolen some money and drugs," Brisbane District Court Judge Helen Bowskill said in sentencing Hakaria and Edmonds on Wednesday.
Hakaria pursued the woman with a knife after she jumped out of the car, kicking and punching her while the other man held her down.
"She was quite understandably terrified and thought she was going to die," Judge Bowskill added.
The woman was dragged back to the car, with Hakaria threatening to "shut her up for good" before driving to another apartment.
Edmonds, now 25, left in a taxi after starting to panic, but the "horrifying incident" continued with the men tying the woman's arms together with cord and threatening to gag her, Judge Bowskill said.
They held a knife against the woman's leg, threatened her and told her to keep walking until they forced her into another vehicle.
Hakaria also admitted threatening the driver of that car - a ride share service they used to go to Edmonds' apartment.
The woman was rescued the next morning by police.
"She was not thankfully more seriously physically injured ... but has suffered severe psychological trauma," Judge Bowskill said.
The court heard the woman's injuries were "not terribly significant", but that was probably due to good luck.
Judge Bowskill sentenced Hakaria to five years behind bars to be suspended after he serves 20 months.
Edmonds received a three-year prison sentence and ordered to be released immediately on parole.
They have both been in custody since their arrest on April 16, 2020.
Hakaria is expected to be deported to New Zealand after serving his jail term.
Australian Associated Press
