Dope Money Sex: Gang member to be released from prison early after kidnapping, shooting a man

The brothers took turns assaulting the victim, including with an aluminium pipe and a scalpel, sometimes while his father listened over the telephone. Photo / Stock Image 123rf

A gang member who kidnapped a man, beat him and forced him to choose between getting shot in the leg or hands over drug money will be released from prison early.

Tremayne Jordan Salt, 26, was a member of the street gang DMS - Dope Money Sex when he and his brother took a man - whose father owed the gang drug money - hostage and beat him while his father listened over the phone.

Salt was charged with kidnapping and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm in June 2017 and sentenced to eight years and two months imprisonment.

But in a recently released decision from the Court of Appeal, Salt has successfully reduced his prison sentence to six years.

During Salt’s sentencing, the court heard that the victim’s father built up a substantial debt to DMS for methamphetamine allegedly supplied to him.

After threats were made to the victim’s father, he and the victim went into hiding.

In July 2016 Salt, armed with a .22 calibre rifle, and his brother found out where the victim lived and kidnapped him, taking him to a house where he was told he would be freed only when his father paid up.

The brothers told the victim his father had until midnight to pay the money and they would shoot him if he tried to run away.

They took turns punching the victim in the head and the rest of his body. He was also assaulted with an aluminium pipe and stabbed in the knee with a scalpel.

Some of the assaults were timed so the victim’s father could hear it over the telephone.

At around 3am the victim was blindfolded with black tape and driven to a park where he was made to choose between getting shot in the leg or hands. He was also told he would be killed if he spoke to police.

The victim was forced out of the car and made to hold out his hands, pressed together. Standing a metre from the victim, Salt fired three shots. The first two missed as the victim moved his hands.

On the third shot, the bullet hit the back of the victim’s right hand and travelled through to his left hand where it remained lodged. He was then left alone at the park.

The victim required multiple surgeries on his hand, including removing the bullet and is likely to have arthritis for the rest of his life.

Reports provided to the court outlined Salt’s background, including getting expelled from school in Year 9, and never being employed.

It also said Salt was a heavy user of meth at the time of the offending and if he was “straight” he would not have done “all of this”.

The report said Salt felt sorry for the victim and was willing to participate in restorative justice if the victim wanted to do so. He also acknowledged his need for drug rehabilitation.

A letter written to the court by Salt’s mother said she felt as if she had failed her son and society and wished she could turn back time and be given another chance to guide and love him.

During sentencing Salt was given a 20 per cent discount for his guilty plea and a further 6.8 per cent discount for personal factors such as youth, family circumstances and remorse.

However, in the Court of Appeal decision Salt’s lawyer, Emma Priest, argued for a 10 per cent discount for Salt’s youth at the time of the offending, as he had just turned 21.

Priest also submitted a 15-20 per cent discount for Salt’s addiction and “rehabilitative potential” as well as a 5 per cent discount for his remorse.

Justice Mark Woolford said while the offending occurred over a five-hour period, Salt was acting under the influence of his older brother and the street gang.

“His relative youth made him susceptible to external pressures and anti‑social peers, particularly in the context of his upbringing and his family circumstances following the death of his grandfather.”

Justice Woolford also acknowledged Salt’s addiction issues and accepted that he showed genuine remorse for the victim.

The appeal was allowed and Salt’s sentence of eight years and two months imprisonment was quashed and replaced with a concurrent sentence of six years imprisonment.