Man kidnapped student, demanded money for P

A P pipe. File photo / Martin Sykes

A student was kidnapped and had a knife held to his throat by a man who threatened to cut off his fingers and kill him if he didn't give him $100 to buy P.

The attacker, Jedidiah Baden Sorrenson, 20, a roof painter, pleaded guilty to charges of kidnapping, aggravated robbery and supplying methamphetamine when he appeared before Judge Chris McGuire in Rotorua District Court.

A charge of attempted kidnapping was withdrawn by police.

On June 20, Sorrenson, from Te Awamutu, sent a text message to the student, who was once his friend, requesting $100 to buy a gram of methamphetamine, the police summary states.

The man, a tertiary student in his 20s, ignored the text, so Sorrenson and a friend drove to Tokoroa and found him at a friend's house.

Sorrenson demanded money from the man but was told he didn't have any money on him but he might be able to get some cash from his parents.

He drove the victim to his parents' business where his mother gave him $20. The victim told the pair she wouldn't give him any money.

Sorrenson replied: "All good, jump in the car" as they asked where else he could get the money they needed.

However, as they drove off, Sorrenson's "demeanour" changed and he became angry and produced a 24cm hunting knife.

As he held the knife in one hand, Sorrenson reached forward and held a fist against the victim's throat and the blade of the knife at the back of his neck.

He said he didn't care where he got the money from, "just to get it".

Sorrenson threatened to "cut off his fingers", kill him and his family and "leave him in the bush".

He told the victim "he wasn't joking" and that he had killed someone before, leaving the victim "terrified" and fearing for his life.

Sorrenson tried other ways to get money off the victim, including demanding he get it off a friend, and giving him the pin number to his eftpos card.

Moments later, the victim's mother rang his cellphone but Sorrenson threw it out the window on to the road.

Fearing he would be hurt, the victim gave Sorrenson the $20 he got from his mother earlier and they went to the Aotea Mobil service station in Tokoroa to get fuel.

Sorrenson told the young man if he tried to escape he would be tied up and put in the boot of the car.

However, the victim managed to get out of the car and Sorrenson grabbed him by the shoulder trying to push him back.

Members of the public saw the pair struggling so Sorrenson and his friend left.

When spoken to by police, Sorrenson said he was collecting a debt the man owed him for methamphetamine and told police "he was not sorry for what he done and was only sorry he had let the victim go".

Judge McGuire told Sorrenson he was subject to the three strikes legislation, which became law in May - meaning if he re-offends in a sexual or violent way he will receive a jail term without parole. If Sorrenson offends in the same way a third time, he receives the maximum penalty for the crime.

Sorrenson has been remanded in custody for sentencing on October 8.