A Tumut woman has been spared jail over her part in an abduction and ransom attempt in Wagga's northern suburbs over an alleged drug debt.
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Jenna Lee Field, aged 26, was sentenced in Wagga District Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to two charges relating to a man being forced into a car and assaulted at Estella.
District Court Judge Gordon Lerve found that Field, who appeared in person in court, was remorseful and unlikely to reoffend and placed her on an Intensive Corrections Order for two years and eight months.
The court heard that Field drove a Suzuki Swift vehicle to Estella with two men, who are both facing charges in relation to the incident, on October 4, 2020 for the purpose of collecting money from a third male.
The victim, who had just returned from working in Queensland, had known the two alleged co-conspirators for a long time and had purchased the drug methylamphetamine or 'ice' from them in the past.
According to mobile phone intercepts, the two men believed the victim owed them money from a drug sale made years ago.
Field at the time was in an intimate relationship with one of the men.
The court heard the Suzuki was parked at the victim's house and when he walked to the passenger door he was forced into the back of the vehicle and was told "you're coming with us" by one of the co-accused.
"[The victim] become concerned and worried as he did not know what was going to happen," Judge Lerve said.
"[One of the co-accused] use his right elbow to strike [the victim] in the head, causing pain.
"He was punched no less than 10 times. He was told 'Where have you been, you owe me money' concerning a few hundred dollars from years ago."
The victim's mother was also threatened before Field drove the Suzuki with the two men and the victim to a house in Mount Austin.
The victim was able to jump off a front door landing into another yard and run away to hide at an ex-girlfriend's home before calling police.
One of the men allegedly yelled "you're dead now" to the victim as he escaped.
Police observed that the victim had sustained bruising to his hand and swelling around his eye.
The two men were arrested the next day and police were granted a telecommunications warrant for their phones.
The warrant revealed contact between Field and a co-accused.
"It was obvious from communications that she was concerned about investigation and her involvement," Judge Lerve said.
During intercepted phone calls, Field discussed the Suzuki's location and how to dispose of the vehicle.
"If I go out and torch it , nobody is going to be sus," Field said on a phone call.
Field was told to delete everything on her Facebook account and clean the Suzuki ahead of a DNA test.
After police found the Suzuki on December 15, 2020, Field told police she had poured alcohol all through the vehicle and steam cleaned it.
Field was charged with taking or detaining a person without consent in company with intent to get advantage and occasioning actual bodily harm.
She was also charged with hindering the discovery of evidence regarding a serious indictable offence.
Judge Lerve said Field was not accused in taking part in the assaults on the victim.
"The period of detention for the victim was the duration of the 10-minute drive from Estella to Mount Austin until he was able to flee from his captors ... it would have been very terrifying," Judge Lerve said.
"The role of the offender is significantly less than male offenders. This offender's role was essentially driving others to collect victim and travel to Mount Austin.
"It must have been very obvious to her what was going on given confined space inside vehicle."
Judge Lerve found Field's prior criminal record, including driving while under the influence of drugs and weapons possession, did not entitle her to leniency.
"The offender enjoyed a healthy and supportive upbringing but got into a relationship with ongoing physical, emotional and financial abuse," Judge Levre said.
"She smoked 0.3 grams of meth per day to manage difficulties but still maintained full-time work in hospitality."
Field had told a psychologist that the person she was 12 months ago "was not who I am".
"What the f--- was I doing hanging out with those people? I had so much potential. I must have been off my head," Field told the psychologist.
Field, who will be required to attend ongoing treatment and counselling for mental health and substance abuse issues, did not visibly react when sentenced.
One of Field's co-accused is in custody in Victoria and the other is due to face trial at Wagga District Court in October.
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