Grandmothers armed with metal pole and baton admit assaulting and holding woman, 24, captive for three hours to steal $600 - before buying doughnuts with the proceeds
- Tanya Sweeney, 53, and Marianne Spiteri, 51, appeared in a court in Geelong
- The pair admitted to holding a 24-year-old woman captive for three hours
- Threatened woman with metal pole and baton over missing ring and bracelet
A pair of grandmothers have admitted to holding a 24-year-old woman captive for three hours as part of a bizarre plot to retrieve jewellery.
Tanya Sweeney, 53, and Marianne Spiteri, 51, appeared in the Geelong Magistrates’ Court this week where they pleaded guilty to a slew of charges relating to the incident in on October 10, 2018.
The pair had showed up to the victim's Geelong home at 6.40am armed with metal pole and baton.
They claimed they were there to collect a ring and bracelet on behalf of the woman's ex-partner.
But their plot began to spiral when the woman refused to handover the jewellery. She told the pair she had agreed to hand over jewellery in person.
Tanya Sweeney, 53, and Marianne Spiteri, 51, drove to Corio Village Shopping Centre (pictured) where Spiteri escorted the woman to an ATM to get cash
The two grans stormed into her home, hitting in the back of the head three times with the metal pole, The Geelong Advertiser reported.
The attackers then tried to access her online bank account but that failed.
They then forced the victim into the back seat of a BMW parked outside, using child safety locks to trap her inside.
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The trio then drove to Corio Village Shopping Centre where Spiteri escorted the woman to an ATM to get cash but that failed.
Later, when they found the woman's bank card in the back of the car they ordered she tell them her PIN number, threatening they would take her for a 'long hike in the bush' if she lied.
The women then used her card to withdraw $600 from an ATM and also purchased $11 worth of Krispy Kreme doughnuts before freeing the woman
The women then used the victim's bank card to withdraw $600 from an ATM and also purchased $11 worth of Krispy Kreme doughnuts before freeing the woman.
The court heard how Spiteri felt 'awful, disgusted and shameful' about the incident. She is currently out on bail after spending 100 days in custody.
Sweeney, who has a lengthier criminal history, is on remand.
The pair will be sentenced on June 19.
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