Teenager, 18, accused of kidnapping her friend and stuffing her in a car boot - before she allegedly smashed a taillight and begged for help on a freeway - could be FREED so she can give birth outside jail
- A pregnant teenager accused of a car-boot kidnapping could be freed from jail
- Latia Henderson's lawyer pleaded for bail so she can give birth this month
- The 18-year-old is facing array of serious charges over abduction and stabbing
- Police alleged she helped her friend carry out the bizarre and horrific ordeal
A pregnant teenager who allegedly took part in the kidnapping of a woman who was stabbed during a horrific 12-hour ordeal could soon be let free from prison to give birth.
A lawyer acting on behalf of Latia Henderson, 18, pleaded for the accused car-boot kidnapper to be granted bail at the NSW Supreme Court on Friday, so she can give birth before the end of August.
Henderson was charged with allegedly assisting her friend Kayley Lee Ketley, 24, abduct Nisha Phillips, also 24, from a home in Claymore, southwest Sydney, on February 3.
Phillips was allegedly stuffed into the boot of her own Holden Commodore and only managed to escape after she kicked out the tail light and caught the attention of a passing truckie, who called the police.
Latia Henderson, 18 (pictured), remains behind bars accused of helping her friend Kayley Lee Ketley, 24, kidnap Nisha Phillips, also 24, from a home in Claymore, western Sydney, on February 3
Latia Henderson, 18 (pictured leaving court in April), appealed to the NSW Supreme Court on Friday where her lawyer pleaded for the accused car-boot kidnapper to be granted bail so she could give birth before the end of August.
Defence lawyer Daniel Maxton urged Justice Peter Johnson, SC, to expedite court proceedings so his client could receive bail and give birth outside of the prison system, the Daily Telegraph reported.
'I don't know if your honour has any power to do so, if your honour can ascribe a degree of priority to the matter when placed in the call over, the reason being that the applicant is very heavily pregnant and is due to give birth by the end of this month,' he said.
The court heard her baby was due on the next month.
Both Henderson and Ketley were originally charged with unlawful wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, detaining to gain advantage causing bodily harm and driving a vehicle without [the] owner's consent.
But the NSW Department of Police Prosecutions told the court it intends to drop two charges against Henderson including unlawful wounding with intent and detaining for advantage.
The teenager (pictured) is due to give birth before the end of August but remains in prison
Kayley Ketley (pictured) is also remains behind bars and facing a litany of serious charges
Back in April Henderson's mother told Daily Mail Australia outside of court the duo were not guilty.
She clutched the hand of a little girl and was supported by her own mother, Henderson's grandmother, as she made the defiant claim.
'We don't need to make any comments because they're not guilty,' she said. Henderson's grandmother then said they had nothing else to discuss on the matter.
Henderson has now spent nine weeks behind bars since her February 3 arrest and has endured much of her first pregnancy alone in jail.
The pair allegedly stuffed Phillips in the boot of her own Holden Commodore and set off down the Hume Highway.
They were stopped by police after a passing truckie saw the woman's hand sticking through the smashed tail light and called Triple Zero, according to cops.
Nisha Phillips (pictured) was allegedly stuffed in the boot of her own Holden Commodore after 12 hours of terror that began at a unit in Claymore, western Sydney, about 10.30pm on Tuesday
Police allege Henderson (left) helped her friend Kayley Lee Ketley (right) carry out a horrific stabbing and kidnapping
Phillips was rushed to hospital to undergo surgery while the other women were taken into custody and refused bail.
At her last appearance, Henderson's lawyer Gazi Abbas argued his client should be released because she had several favourable prospects, including her age, support from family and the fact she was pregnant.
Mr Abbas added that her alleged involvement in the case is yet to be ascertained and she suffers from post traumatic stress disorder and mental health issues after a childhood filled with trauma.
The court heard Henderson was scarred after the freak death of her baby sister and assassination of her close friend Brayden Dillon.
Henderson's younger sister Indy Lee was killed in a horror accident in 2016 when the concrete war memorial at Black Head Bowling Club fell on top of her.
The 24-year-old alleged victim managed to get her hand out the back tail light of the car (pictured) which was seen by a passing truck driver, who called NSW Police
An inquest into her death heard another older child was standing on top of the war memorial headstone when it buckled and crushed the three-year-old.
In an emotional tribute to her sister on Instagram, Henderson shared a photo of the toddler's burial headstone.
'Half of my heart lives in heaven. I miss you so much angel eyes,' she wrote.
Just five months after her sister's death, Henderson's life was again rocked by the shooting death of Dillon.
The 15-year-old was asleep in bed when Conrad Craig burst through the front door and into his room.
Craig was last year sentenced to at least 30 years jail over the shocking killing.
Henderson (far right) was close friends with Brayden Dillon (far left) who was gunned down in his sleep in a high-profile incident in 2017
At the time, Henderson told media: 'He was a really good friend of mine. It's so hard to accept the fact that he's gone.'
Court documents state that Phillips was allegedly attacked as early as 10.30pm on February 2.
It wasn't until close to 11.30am the next morning that police pulled over her Holden Commodore and allegedly freed her from the boot.
Phillips was suffering stab wounds to her knee, thigh and forearm.
While the three women were known to each other, the details of an alleged personal dispute that led to the eventual kidnapping remain unclear.
The matter remains before the court.
