Third teen jailed for kidnapping, robbery

A third teenager involved in kidnapping an innocent couple at gunpoint and stealing their car was jailed today.

Thomas Teruihi Skipper, 17, of Inglewood, was sentenced in New Plymouth District Court to two years' jail for aggravated robbery, kidnapping and theft.

Yesterday, Jerome Teumuera Edwards, 18, unemployed, and Matthew Kane Tett, 18, were given jail terms of four years.

The trio held up the couple at the point of an air gun in the Taranaki town of Inglewood on April 1, forced them into their own car intending to drive it to Auckland.

The victims were dumped from the vehicle before the offenders stole $60 worth of petrol from a Waitara service station, 16km east of New Plymouth.

Defence counsel Kylie Pascoe said that Skipper had simply been a gullible accomplice.

- NZPA