Contact | The Macleay Argus

A drug-affected man and woman who lured their victim to Warrawong via Snapchat before kidnapping him at knifepoint have been jailed. Remy Girdler, 20, and Joshua Nyrhinen, 26, dialled into Wollongong District Court from custody on Friday to learn their fate for the September 30, 2022 ordeal. Their co-offender Tristan Sturgess, who pleaded guilty last month, will be sentenced next year. Tendered court documents state Girdler messaged the victim on Snapchat about 8.30pm and the pair agreed to meet behind Warrawong Plaza shortly after. The victim, a 21-year-old male, picked Girdler up in his black Mitsubishi on Shellharbour Road before driving to Mount Kembla Look Out along Cordeaux Road. While driving the victim noticed a maroon Subaru approaching with Sturgess, and Nyrhinen inside. The men parked next to the victim, tapped on his window and demanded "remove the key and give me your mobile phone", while Girdler said "don't hurt him, don't hurt him". The victim refused, prompting Sturgess to punch him in the face, causing bruising. Sturgess repeated the demand and the victim complied, while one of the men told Girdler to get out of the vehicle. Meanwhile Nyrhinen was armed with a large knife as he demanded the victim move to the passenger seat. Nyrhinen jumped into the driver's seat and held the knife to the victim's chest as he drove him to Berkeley, with Girdler and Sturgess following behind in the Subaru. Judge Haesler said during the drive, Nyrhinen took a phone call and said "I've got a hostage situation going on babe, it's not the best time to speak, I'll see you soon". The victim, frightened, pleaded with Nyrhinen to not take his car because he was broke. "For a period of time, he was solely in control of the victim," Judge Haesler said of Nyrhinen's role. Nyrhinen parked the vehicle along Norfolk Drive and Girdler and Sturgess hopped into the back passenger seats. Nyrhinen demanded the victim unlock his phone and banking app then transferred $1,464 across four transactions to a personal account. Sturgess then drove the car, stopping at two properties, before arriving at Girdler's North Wollongong address where they instructed the victim to wait. The victim waited for over 45 minutes before he walked home and logged into Snapchat through a different mobile phone, asking for his car back. When this was unsuccessful he reported to incident to police on October 1, 2022, with his vehicle and the knife recovered in Berkeley. Girdler was arrested on October 12, 2022 in Warrawong, while Nyrhinen was arrested two weeks later at Figtree Hotel. Sturgess was arrested in April. "Those facts reveal these were objectively serious offences," Judge Haesler said. "The fact it occurred at night, the fact the victim appeared to be targeted, the fact that a knife was used ... and the fact his car and all his money was taken." Defence barrister Robert Steward said Nyrhinen had completed three certificates while in custody, as well as participating in drug treatment programs. Nyrhinen pleaded guilty to armed robbery and dishonestly obtaining property by deception. The offence of taking and detaining a person in company was taken into account. Defence barrister Jack Hibbard said Girdler had spiralled into drug use after a motor vehicle accident, however, was undergoing counselling and had expressed her remorse to the victim. She pleaded guilty to taking and detaining a person in company and two counts of being carried in a conveyance without consent of the owner. Both offenders were afforded a discount in their sentences due to their early guilty pleas. Nyrhinen received four years jail with a non-parole period of two years and eight months. With time already served, he will become eligible for release in July 2025. Girdler was handed two years and nine months jail with a non-parole period of one year and eight months. She will be released on parole in June 2024.

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