Esperance homemakers who attacked, robbed, kidnapped, found guilty

The homemade colleagues who attacked, robbed and abducted a 66-year-old man in the distant southeastern of Western Australia, were found guilty of a series of crimes.

After a 12 -day trial and a few hours deliberation, the jury of the district court was convicted of Aidan Lee Whetstone and James Cowan Gidgup for the 2023 attack on Paul Johnston.

The duo wore masks when they attacked Mr. Johnston on the night of April 17.

The yard heard that Whetstone beat him with a baseball stick.

They kept him against his will before assaulting him and plundering one of his relatives.

Whetstone, 36, was found guilty of the intention to monim, disfigure, disable or do painful bodily injury in aggravation circumstances.

Gidgup, 21 years old, was found guilty of the lower accusation of serious illegal bodily injury.

“These crimes are wearing significant imprisonment conditions,” said Judge Laurence Levy after the jury’s verdict was delivered.

Mr. Johnston died before the trial.

His statements were presented as criminal prosecution evidence.

There was no suggestion that the crimes contributed to his death.

“Extreme pain”

The yard heard that Mr. Johston woke up to find two men outside his caravan on a block of bushes, near Myrup, on the edge of Esperance.

One of the men, a “big guy” who wore a “dark mask with smiling teeth,” was Whetstone, with Gidgup accompanying him.

The court heard Mr. Johstton, 66, was repeatedly beaten with a baseball stick, robbed by his mobile phone and held against his will.

He did not lose consciousness and was “with extreme pain.”

Gidgup and Whetstone then stole an UTE and took Mr. Johnston to the nearby house, Sheila Anne Johnston.

Whetstone was convicted of threatening to illegally hurt Mrs. Johnston, telling her that she would be injured if she “cooperates”.

Gidgup was paid by this offense.

The pair was found guilty that she stole a watch, bag and purse from the house.

The younger man argues “Painres”

During the trial, Gidgup, who was 19 years old at that time, claimed that he was acting under Hurss.

He claimed that he is afraid that his much larger and older homemade colleague will hurt him if he does not cooperate.

“Mr. Gidgup was powerless to stop Mr. Whetstone,” said his lawyer Darryl Ryan.

Mr. Ryan said there was no doubt that Mr. Johnston was beaten wildly, but said his client did not play any role in the attack.

However, the state prosecutor Katie Kemm said Gidgup had participated voluntarily.

“He decided to stay,” she said.

DNA on the baseball bat

The defense of Whetstone discussed the reliability of the evidence provided by Gidgup, which at that time was in the neck of a “serious metth addiction”.

Whetstone denied Mr. Johston, saying he tried to help the wounded man.

The court has heard that Mr. Johnston has suffered serious injury on the face and head, requiring plates to help his cheek reform.

Its DNA was found on the baseball bat, which was located in a trash can the next day.

The DNA of Mr. Johston and Whetstone was also found on a bloody sock.

The pair will be convicted in May.