Two Canberra men have been jailed for confining and attacking a man with a tyre iron over a $75 drug debt.
Jake Blackburn, 22, and his 20-year-old co-offender — who cannot be named for legal reasons — met the victim at Lanyon Marketplace in Canberra's south in April, where they confronted him because he was a day late paying his debt.
They instructed the victim to get into the back seat of a stolen car they were driving, before demanding his mobile phone and password.
When the two men discovered the victim had been in contact with a woman they knew, they became agitated and drove off.
They later stopped and demanded the victim crawl through to the hatchback's boot, as Blackburn tasered him.
They stopped the car at least twice more, during which time Blackburn beat the victim with a tyre iron, causing cuts to his head, while the 20-year-old filmed the incident on his phone.
The victim was eventually left stranded — without his shoes or phone — with only a bottle of water and a grey jumper which he was told to wrap around his bleeding head.
He was found by a nearby worker in the early hours of the next morning, at which time police were called and he was taken to hospital.
In handing down his judgement to the ACT Supreme Court, Justice Michael Elkaim said the victim feared for his life.
"[The victim] was threatened with dire consequences should he not meet his financial obligations to the offenders," he said.
‘Horrific’ crime over a ‘mere $75’
Justice Elkaim told the court that the incident clearly was not premeditated.
"As I read the statement of facts, the confinement was not preplanned but seems to have evolved after the initial discussion with [the victim] and examination of his mobile telephone," he said.
He also noted the difficult backgrounds of both men, particularly a report on Blackburn.
"Blackburn presented as a tired and frustrated young man who demonstrated a strong desire for stability and normality in his life," Justice Elkaim said.
"He has a consistent history of psychological and emotional adversity which has assisted him in arriving at his current circumstances.
"All of these personal factors illustrate the background of a person who, it might be said, was destined to fall foul of the law."
But Justice Elkaim said that did not diminish the gravity of the crime.
He said he had viewed the video of the bashing.
"It was horrific," he said.
"[The victim] may not have put forward a victim impact statement, but that does not diminish the terror he must have felt.
"He is probably concerned about further retribution. Having seen what he went through I do not blame him at all.
"And all of this for a mere $75."
Both men were on conditional liberty at the time, and were returned to jail after they were arrested.
Both pleaded guilty to charges of forcible confinement in the ACT Supreme Court on Friday.
Blackburn will serve two years and eight months for the crime and will not be eligible for parole until 2024.
The 20-year-old has been given a 12 month sentence, with a non-parole period ending in 2023.
