Fake Kidnapping, This Man Was Sentenced To 350 Hours Of Community Service And A Fine Of Rp160 Million

Illustration. (Wikimedia Commons/Joe Gratz)

JAKARTA - Australian police sentenced a man to community service work and fines after falsifying his kidnapping.

Paul Iera, from Wollongong in New South Wales (NSW), made plans to spend New Year's Eve with another woman, not with her partner. However, he made up a story that was too far away.

On December 31, 2022, Iera sent an SMS to her colleague claiming to be her kidnappers. The text message reads, the kidnappers will detain her 'until the morning', reported by The National News Oct. 10.

His colleague then contacted the police in Lake Illawarra District, who found Iera in a van in his hometown, Dapto the next morning.

Officers spent more than 200 hours working police investigating claims of Iera's kidnapping, with $16,218 spent according to local media.

Local newspaper Illawarra Star said Iera initially claimed she was taken by an unknown group of Middle Eastern men and later released her.

He was later arrested in January and charged with making false charges with the intention of conducting an investigation into other people, who could be sentenced to seven years in prison.

Iera was spared from imprisonment, but she had to serve a three-year community sentence and was required to provide community service for 350 hours, and pay compensation to the police.

He also pleaded guilty to three unrelated charges, namely illegal possession of firearms, unauthorized weapons, and ammunition without permission.

The court ordered the 35-year-old man to pay USD 16.218 (IDR 160.132.191) to NSW police for their investigation work.

Judge Michael Ong described Iera's actions as "disgraceful", reports Australia 9News outlets.

The judge said Iera was "motivated by the least convincing reasons she had ever found".

Separately, Abbas Soukie, the lawyer representing Iera, said he was happy that his client could avoid being sentenced to prison.

He said his client had made "extraordinary rehabilitation progress" since the breach and that he "continued to have the support of his family and partner, and wanted to continue his life as a productive member of society", according to 9News.