JAIL FOR GRANNY WHO HELD WOMAN CAPTIVE:
Women held female victim captive for three hours
A GRANDMOTHER who bought doughnuts while holding a young woman captive in Geelong has cried as she was jailed over her bizarre crimes.
Tanya Sweeney, 53, repeatedly wiped away tears yesterday while being sentenced to a prison term of up to one year and eight months.
In October 2018, Sweeney and fellow grandmother Marianne Spiteri, 51, subjected the victim to a three-hour ordeal that involved her being locked in a car and driven through Geelong’s northern suburbs.
Magistrate Peter Mellas said the entire episode began when Sweeney and Spiteri made a “fateful” decision to go to the 24-year-old’s home in a bid to retrieve jewellery on behalf of a former partner.
“What followed must have been terrifying,” Mr Mellas told Geelong Magistrates’ Court.
The pair were armed with a baton and metal pole when they arrived at the Norlane home, with Sweeney using the pole to strike the victim up to three times to the head.
The woman was forced to a bedroom before eventually being bundled into the back seat of a car and driven to Corio Village Shopping Centre.
While in the car, the doors were locked and the victim was warned there would be consequences if she tried to escape.
Once at the shopping centre, the woman was forced to provide her PIN for a bank card, which was used to withdraw $600 that was shared between Sweeney and Spiteri.
Sweeney also used the card to buy Krispy Kreme doughnuts from a 7-Eleven store.
The victim was eventually left at a street corner near her home, with her wallet and phone returned to her.
Earlier this month, Sweeney and Spiteri pleaded guilty to charges including false imprisonment and aggravated burglary.
“This is serious offending,” Mr Mellas said.
While sentencing the two culprits yesterday, the magistrate told the pair they could have walked away at any point during the “sustained” ordeal.
Sweeney, of Norlane, was sentenced to a minimum jail term of 12 months.
Mr Mellas said Spiteri’s criminal history was minor compared with her accomplice as he sentenced the Corio woman to a 100-day jail term, which was deemed to be time already served.
Spiteri was also placed on a community correction order for 18 months, with a requirement that she complete 150 hours of unpaid work.