Australian police allocated $16,218 to investigate the alleged kidnapping of Paul Iera. However, it turned out to be a poorly planned scheme to gain freedom on New Year’s Eve. The court has now ordered Iera, aged 35, to reimburse the New South Wales police with this amount. Although no prison sentence was given, according to the BBC, Iera will have to complete 350 hours of community service. Falsely reporting a kidnapping could have resulted in a seven-year prison term; News.com.au reported that the kidnapping report, made just before New Year’s Eve celebrations, initiated an extensive and urgent search by specialized officers.
Magistrate Michael Ong expressed his disapproval of Iera’s actions, deeming them “abhorrent,” as well as his motivation for committing the crime. Iera’s intention was to spend New Year’s Eve with someone other than his partner. Therefore, on December 31, he sent a text message to his partner, purportedly from his kidnappers, stating that they would hold Iera “until the morning,” as reported by the BBC. After Iera’s partner contacted the police, he was found in his hometown, Dapto, in his van at 10am on January 1. Iera informed the police that he had been taken by unidentified Middle Eastern men who later released him.
The defendant was told by Magistrate Ong that he was driven by the most unconvincing motive the magistrate had ever encountered. Iera’s lawyer stated in court that his client aspires to “move forward with his life as a productive member of the community.” He also mentioned that Iera has the support of his family and, surprisingly, his partner. (Read more Australia stories.)
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