Kidnapped and beaten
15-hour ordeal for Parkinson’s sufferer
A “VULNERABLE” 73-yearold Norlane man with Parkinson’s disease was kidnapped by a woman he considered a friend then beaten during a terrifying 15-hour encounter, the Geelong County Court heard.
Debra Hobbs, 44, and accomplice Jesse Couzens, 20, yesterday pleaded guilty to kidnapping Alojz Erjavec on March 8, 2017 during the attack.
Crown prosecutor Daryl Brown told the court Mr Erjavec was in the same room of a Norlane unit as his captors as they discussed ways to kill him.
“Mr Erjavec laid on the ground pretending to be unconscious,” Mr Brown said.
The court heard the bizarre events started after the victim went to Hobbs’s home about 5.30pm on March 8 where Couzens was smoking cannabis.
The trio drove to the Corio Village shopping centre then returned to Hobbs’s unit in Sparks Rd, Norlane.
The court was told she became abusive during the drive and when they returned to the unit, calling Mr Erjavec a “wog” and “Croatian dog”.
“He tried to walk out the front door and Ms Hobbs pushed him into a chair,” Mr Brown said.
The court heard Couzens said to Mr Erjavec: “If you don’t obey I will kill you.”
When threatened by Hobbs, the victim offered to give her 14g of cannabis and $900 stashed at his home.
The court heard Mr Erjavec had previously bought cannabis from Hobbs.
He was driven to his home in the back seat of his car with the child locks and window locks engaged, the court was told.
Hobbs became angry when the drugs and money were not found at Mr Erjavec’s Corio home.
She and Couzens then stole chicken, frozen flake, an ashtray, a torch and a mobile phone from Mr Erjavec’s home and returned to the Norlane unit.
After being held for more than six hours, the victim swung a knife at his captors as he attempted to flee.
He was then repeatedly hit with a hockey stick by Hobbs and a metal bar by Couzens.
The court heard about 11am the next day Mr Erjavec was driven to a bank in Corio Village to withdraw $1000 as a condition of his release.
But the plot was foiled by an eagle-eyed bank attendant who locked the bank when Hobbs left, and Couzens waited in Mr Erjavec’s car. The pair returned to the Norlane unit in Mr Erjavec’s car and were later arrested.
Hobbs pleaded guilty to theft, car theft, burglary and two counts of assault.
Couzens pleaded guilty to burglary, theft and assault.
Mr Brown said Hobbs should be jailed but conceded a community corrections order was appropriate for Couzens.
Judge Gerard Mullaly told the pair there was “no promise” they would only receive a community corrections order for their actions.
The pair will face the Melbourne County Court on March 19 and be sentenced at a later date.