Two Sydney men have been sentenced for their roles in the kidnapping a couple and torturing them over 36 hours.

Council of the City of Sydney

Two people, Asala Barker and Sarkisi Ilimitama, have been sentenced for kidnapping and torturing a man and woman in Sydney. The victims were abducted from a car park and taken on a 200-kilometre journey, where they were held for 36 hours, subjected to physical abuse, and forced to participate in ransom demands. The kidnappers demanded up to $10 million, including cryptocurrency, and threatened the victims with references to other criminal associates. Barker received a sentence of six years and eight months, with parole eligibility in 2027, while Ilimitama was sentenced to seven and a half years, eligible for parole the following year.

Two men sentenced for kidnapping, torture of two victims

Kisi Ilimitama and Asala Barker's victims say their ordeal still lives on in their nightmares. In 2023, the pair snatched the man and woman from a Fairfield car park and took them on a 200 kilometre journey north to Swan Bay. They were detained for 36 hours and tortured by unidentified offenders before they eventually escaped. The male victim or hostage in this case had attempts were made to amputate his middle finger using garden shears. 11 weeks later, the riot squad knocked on the doors of 24-year-old Asala Barker and 25-year-old Sarkisi Ilimitama, arresting them over the kidnapping. The men first demanded half a million dollars from the terrified pair before eventually demanding a ransom of up to $10 million, half of it in cryptocurrency. During their ordeal, the pair were driven around blindfolded, tied to chairs. The woman forced to film a ransom video that was then sent to her father, all the while adding to their terror were references to other members of the criminal group, including a figure only referred to as the big man. Barker will be sentenced to six years and eight months. With time served, he will be eligible for parole in April 2027. Ilimitama eligible for parole the year after with a total sentence of seven and a half years. Hannah Taylor, 10 News.

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