Kidnap victim threatened me, accused's girlfriend tells court

THE girlfriend of a man accused of abducting a couple from a shed at Yarrawonga has told how her life was threatened by one of the alleged victims.

Charmaine Gardiner, 30, told Darwin Magistrates Court Kurt Fisher came to her home at Woodroffe "five or six times" before the alleged abduction and threatened to kill her and her baby daughter.

"He told me he was going to f... me up," Ms Gardiner said.

"He said he was going to kill me and my daughter, and he was going to burn the shed down."

Ms Gardiner said on one occasion she overheard Mr Fisher and her boyfriend Michael Bunch talking about amphetamines.

When asked whether she believed Mr Fisher was selling the drug, Ms Gardiner said: "I thought Kurt was selling, yes.

"At one time he said Michael owed him money."

Ms Gardiner was giving evidence at a committal hearing for five men accused of bashing Mr Fisher and abducting him and his girlfriend Amber Cameron-Hitchcock from the Yarrawonga shed in May.

Michael Bunch, 27, his brother Matthew Bunch, 23, Mark Simpson, 28, David Aiken, 27, and Richard Kelly, 27, have been charged with deprivation of liberty, aggravated assault, causing grevious harm and making demands with menaces.

Ms Gardiner said since Michael Bunch's arrest someone had "moved things around" in her backyard.

The committal hearing continues today.

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org
Pubdate: Wed, 28 September 2005
Source: Northern Territory News (Australia)
Author: Rebecca Hewett
Copyright: 2005 Northern Territory News
Contact: ntnmail@ntn.newsltd.com.au
Website: http://ntnews.news.com.au/