A Victorian woman has been jailed for kidnapping a 73-year-old man with Parkinson's disease and subjecting him to a "violent" and "bizarre" ordeal.
Debra Hobbs, 44, was the "leader and instigator" of the frightening attack alongside her then 18-year-old friend, Jesse Couzens, with whom she regularly smoked cannabis.
The pair previously pleaded guilty to kidnapping, burglary, theft and assault on March 8 and 9, 2017, in the Geelong suburb of Norlane.
County Court of Victoria Judge Gerard Mullaly, while sentencing on Tuesday, described the pair's behaviour as "frightening and at times violent conduct".
"Circumstances were unusual and at times approached the bizarre, but for the 73-year-old victim, it was a difficult and frightening experience," he said.
The court was told the victim visited Hobbs, with whom he had formed a friendship.
The pair drove him to his home but turned on him and made sure he couldn't escape.
Hobbs and Couzens then started searching his home for a "so-called stash of money and drugs" at the victim's house.
At one stage, the victim got hold of a knife, but Couzens assaulted him with a steel bar, while Hobbs hit him with a hockey stick.
She also sprayed an aerosol can towards him and ignited it with a lighter to scare him.
On March 9, the pair drove their victim to a bank to withdraw $1000 in exchange for his release.
But a bank worker locked the bank doors after Hobbs left, keeping the victim safely inside and the kidnappers outside.
The pair was arrested the following day.
Judge Mullaly said Hobbs had previously worked as a community corrections officer, but left the workforce to have the first of her five children.
He added she had undergone "significant trauma" in her life, and accepted Hobbs was now remorseful for her conduct.
"I must take the grave step of ordering a period of imprisonment, but as brief as I can lawfully allow," he said.
She was sentenced to three months' imprisonment and a two-year community corrections order.
Couzens - who has just fathered a baby - avoided a stint in jail, but was also ordered to undergo a two-year community corrections order.
Australian Associated Press
