Disabled woman who was tortured for hours and thrown from Sydney bridge slams tormentor’s sentence

‘They’ve destroyed me’: Disabled teen tortured for eight hours as she was tied to a chair before being thrown from a bridge slams sentence handed down to the thugs who tormented her

  • Couple who kidnapped and tortured disabled women sentenced on Thursday
  • They were sentenced for role in ‘gratuitous cruelty inflicted on Kayla Kendrigan
  • Brooke Brown and Matthew Leuthwaite were given four and five year sentences
  • Ms Kendrigan hit out at the sentencing of the pair

A young disabled woman who was kidnapped and tortured for more than eight hours before being thrown from a bridge has slammed the length of her tormentors’ sentence.

Kayla Kendrigan, then 19, who was born without her left hand, was thrown from the seven-metre high Windsor Bridge in north-western Sydney and into the Hawkesbury River in September 2018. 

Brooke Levina Jane Brown, 20, and Matthew James Leuthwaite, 23, were sentenced to a minimum of four and five years in prison on Thursday for their role in the ‘gratuitous cruelty’ inflicted on Ms Kendrigan. 

Kayla Kendrigan (pictured following attack) has hit out at her tormentor’s sentence after they were given sentences of between four and five years in prison on Thursday for their role in the horrific ordeal

Matthew James Leuthwaite, 23, (pictured in black T-shirt) and Brooke Levina Jane Brown, 20, were sentenced to a minimum of four and five years in prison on Thursday for their role in the 'gratuitous cruelty' inflicted on Ms Kendrigan

Matthew James Leuthwaite, 23, (pictured in black T-shirt) and Brooke Levina Jane Brown, 20, were sentenced to a minimum of four and five years in prison on Thursday for their role in the ‘gratuitous cruelty’ inflicted on Ms Kendrigan

Brown, Leuthwaite and two teenagers, who can’t be named for legal reasons, kidnapped Ms Kendrigan – who was then tied to a chair, stabbed and had her eyebrows shaved off.

She was then bundled into the boot of a car and subsequently thrown off Windsor Bridge. 

Ms Kendrigan’s  horrific ordeal was filmed by the couple on camera and she survived after landing in the river below.

‘Gratuitous cruelty was involved in this offence,’ Judge Mark Buscombe told Penrith District Court on Thursday.

‘It was clearly an horrific ordeal and will have a lasting impact on [Ms Kendrigan].’

Brown will serve at least four years behind bars, while Leuthwaite was sentenced to a minimum of five years in prison for his role in the abuse.

Brown (pictured) will serve at least four years behind bars, while Leuthwaite was sentenced to a minimum of five years in prison for his role in the abuse

Brown (pictured) will serve at least four years behind bars, while Leuthwaite was sentenced to a minimum of five years in prison for his role in the abuse

Ms Kendrigan criticised the sentencing outside court on Thursday, telling reporters simply ‘no’ when asked if she was satisfied with the jail terms handed down.

The convicted pair had originally faced up to 25 years in prison 

In an A Current Affair episode aired the week following the attack, Ms Kendrigan said she didn’t think she would survive the attack – and had to swim to the water’s edge and knock on a stranger’s door for help.

‘I thought I was just going to not survive… I was not going to see anyone anymore,’ she said at the time.

The now-convicted couple’s three-year-old son was reportedly being looked after by a family member on the night of the incident. 

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