'God told me to kill you and do it slowly'
The Daily Telegraph
September 15, 2009 12:01am
A WOMAN allegedly held captive by her former boyfriend and subjected to five days of torture and threats of death managed to escape when he went to report to police as part of his bail conditions.
Grant Mills of Wilberforce faced court yesterday charged with abducting his former girlfriend Peita Hassett as she walked along a street in Windsor in Sydney's outer-west.
Penrith Local Court heard yesterday that Ms Hassett was walking along busy George St, Windsor, when Mr Mills allegedly jumped out of a small car, grabbed her and forced her into the back seat as another man drove.
Mr Mills allegedly told Ms Hassett, who had been in an "on and off again relationship" with him in 2008, he would hold her hostage then kill her.
Ms Hassett was allegedly taken to Mr Mill's caravan at Riverside Van Park at nearby Wilberforce, where he told her he would chase after her and kill her if she attempted to flee.
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The court heard she told police officers her alleged ordeal worsened on Sunday, with Mr Mills waking her at 4am (AEST), screaming at her and saying: "God has told me to kill you. I'm not going to kill you yet, I'm going to wait until 5pm this afternoon. I'm going to kill you slowly."
The court heard the abuse allegedly continued for almost five hours, with Mr Mills repeatedly punching Ms Hassett to the head and face, choking her, and stabbing her leg with a large stainless steel kitchen knife.
At about 9am on Sunday, Mr Mills was driven to Windsor Police Station by his father to report on bail, taking Ms Hassett along.
Once he was inside, she ran from the car, allegedly hiding among police vehicles at the back of the station until he left, then reported her ordeal.
The court heard shocked officers described her injuries as "severe" and said they included a badly bruised and swollen right eye, cuts to her left leg and forehead and bruising to other parts of her body.
Forensic officers searched the caravan park on Sunday night, arresting Mr Mills and locating a knife and items of bedding with blood on them.
Police yesterday opposed bail, with Prosecutor Sergeant Daniel Winter arguing Mills was already on bail at the time of the attack after being charged with recklessly inflicting grievous bodily harm less than three weeks ago.
Magistrate George Zdenkowski refused bail, noting Mills "long history of criminal offences including substantial periods in custody including for offences of violence".
Mills will face Penrith Local Court again on Friday, September 18 on charges including detaining a person for advantage causing actual bodily harm and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Mills' Legal Aid solicitor said her client would be defending the allegations and denied the blood found in his caravan was from the victim.
Detectives yesterday appealed for witnesses who saw Mr Mills allegedly snatch Ms Hassett near the corner of George St and Hawkesbury Valley Way on Tuesday or who can help identify the small red car involved and its driver to contact them on Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000.
