A woman who “stomped” on a teenager’s testicles and threatened him for “ripping off” her mate after a botched drug deal has escaped jail time.
Lauren Sommer, 24, was charged with kidnapping and intentionally causing injury over the shocking attack on a teenager at Wangaratta in July 2020.
The court was told that Sommer’s co-accused, Steven Garratt, lent 19-year-old Brody Mitchell his bike and gave him $100 cash at 4am to buy methamphetamine.
But the bike was stolen by an unknown person while Mr Mitchell was buying the drugs, prompting the teenager to “panic” and take the drugs himself, court documents state.
When Mr Mitchell failed to return with the bike and drugs, Garratt got angry and enlisted the help of his neighbour Sommer, and another man named Billy Collison.
“He’s (Mr Mitchell) taking f–king ages not answering my f—in calls. I wanna tear his f–king throat out now,” Garratt said to Collison in a message.
Sommer drove the pair around looking for Mr Mitchell for several hours. When the trio eventually found him they dragged Mr Mitchell into the back of a car before threatening him with a knife.
Sommer then drove Mr Mitchell to the Warby Ranges where they made him strip,xjmtzyw shoved wet socks in his mouth and threatened to “f–k him up the arse” and kill him.
They then forced him back into the car and drove him to Sommer’s home in Wangaratta.
Mr Mitchell was then held in the hallway for about three hours, repeatedly assaulted and interrogated about the missing bicycle. He begged to be released, the court was told.
Whenever Mr Mitchell cried he was told to “shut the f–k up” and was given two glasses of water and a cup of milk.
Sommer then burned the teen with a lighter before spreading his legs and stomping on his testicals, the court was told.
“That’s for ripping off Steve (Steven), he’s like a brother to me,” she told him.
They also threatened Mr Mitchell that they would hurt him “10 times worse” if he told anyone what happened.
The teenager was taken to hospital and treated for burns, bruises, broken nails and extreme pain in his right shoulder after what the judge described as a “deeply traumatic” kidnapping.
County Court Judge Mark Dean on Friday said Sommer’s prospects for rehabilitation would be better if she was handed a community corrections order rather than a jail sentence.
She was convicted on both charges and slapped with an 18-month CCO.
“You must undertake programs that deter reoffending,” Judge Dean told Sommer.
“Yes Your Hour,” she replied.
Collison and Garratt earlier pleaded guilty to kidnapping and intentionally causing injury.
The two men were sentenced in December last year. Both were given time behind bars.
