Pregnant woman taken hostage in Elizabeth East, Adelaide, house for 13-hours where she was bashed and held for ransom

A pregnant woman was held hostage for 13 hours in a suburban house where five tormentors bashed her, pilfered belongings while demanding ransom from the victim’s mother.

Adelaide’s District Court heard about the terrifying ordeal on Monday during a sentencing submissions hearing for two of the perpetrators Sharon Anne Clancy, 55, and Nicole Marie Bailie, 29.

The group was led by Daniel Peter Baker, 34, and Vanessa Renae Brewster, 36, who have been jailed along with accomplice Rex Lyall Clough, 34. 

During a February hearing the court heard how the 28-weeks pregnant victim went Baker’s house in the northern Adelaide suburb of Elizabeth East on December 30, 2020.

Nicole Bailie has faced court over her role in holding hostage a pregnant woman who was bashed and robbed

Baker was demanding money from the victim and had sent her photos taken outside her father’s house with instruction she hand over her own car or they would take the parent’s vehicle. 

This led to a horrifying 13-hour ordeal where Baker and Brewster assaulted the woman, stole her jewellery and phone and forced her to sign over ownership of her car. 

After Clough arrived at the house the victim’s mother was contacted with a ransom demand of $1000 if she ever wanted to see her daughter alive again. 

During Monday’s hearing a victim impact statement was read out to the court by prosecutor Amy Fisher.

‘How another human can think it’s OK to treat an innocent person the way you treated me is something that I find extremely hard to understand,’ the statement said, according to the Adelaide Advertiser.

‘For the last 23 months and I expect for months to come I have fought away tears, had sleepless nights and live in fear that some day you will come after me again.’

Clancy’s defence lawyer Stacey Carter told the court her client had struck the victim with a torch and assisted the others in removing items from the woman’s car.  

She said Clancy was a heavy methamphetamine user who had asked for drugs to take part in the kidnapping. 

The court also heard Clancy’s daughter tragically died last year after a battle with cancer. 

Vanessa Brewster was previously jailed for her ringleader role in holding the woman hostage

Rex Clough has been jailed for blackmail after he took part in demanding a ransom from the victim’s mother

‘Ms Clancy accepts that her behaviour is appalling and she is very genuinely remorseful,’ Ms Carter said.

Bailie’s defence lawyer William Mickan said his client had lived a life full of trauma and had turned to drugs as a way of coping.

He told the court Bailie was in rehabilitation and had the potential to pick up her previous career as a carpenter.

Both women pleaded guilty to robbery and will be sentenced in November.