Man jailed for escort attack
A JUDGE has described the callous actions of a Gold Coast man who punched an escort in the face, and tried to choke and bind her wrists together as a “blueprint” to abducting and murdering a prostitute.
The sex worker only narrowly escaped when the man was trying to join her hands with zip ties.
Bradley William Knudson pleaded guilty in the District Court of Queensland yesterday to multiple charges, including disabling in order to commit an indictable offence, attempted deprivation of liberty and assault occasioning bodily harm.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the sentencing was conducted via videolink with Knudson in custody, the prosecution appearing from Southport court and Judge David Kent and Knudson’s legal team in a Brisbane courtroom.
Judge Kent sentenced the 34-year-old to seven years in prison with parole eligibility in February 2022.
Knudson has been behind bars since August 2018.
“We don’t know exactly what was going on here but it doesn’t look good,” Judge Kent said. “What it looks like is that he was restraining her to abduct her to somewhere.”
Judge Kent said the use of the cable ties was particularly disturbing. “I’m not saying this is the thing he was doing … if you want to abduct and murder a prostitute that is what you do, that’s the blueprint.”
Crown prosecutor Michael Mitchell said Knudson met the escort in a Broadbeach hotel room on August 16, 2018. When in the hotel room, he told the woman he left his wallet in the car and convinced her to come downstairs with him.
The attack was caught on CCTV as they were returning to the hotel via a walkway near the Hideaway Kitchen and Bar. Knudson turned and punched the sex worker in the face. He then put his arm around her neck and squeezed, lifting her feet off the ground.
The court was told the woman felt like she lost unconsciousness and thought she was going to be killed.
Mr Mitchell said Knudson then got the woman to the ground and placed a cable tie around her right wrist. As he tried to put a zip tie around her left wrist the woman was able to break his hold and flee.
Knudson stole her keys and phone, which had fallen to the ground during the struggle.
“She talks about constant nightmares, feels lonely and abandoned … doesn’t trust people and at times doesn’t feel safe and it comes to her mind every day,” Mr Mitchell said.
Defence barrister Russell Pearce, instructed by Gatenby Lawyers, said Knudson did not have “a very good recollection of being there”. “He perceived at some point in the transaction with this girl that he was the one at threat.”
Mr Pearce said Knudson had been fixing his car that day and had left the cable ties in his pockets. The court was told Knudson was using drugs at the time and could have been hallucinating or paranoid.