Judge hears 'unique and bizarre' case of Australian man who claimed he was kidnapped and tortured in Northern Ireland
A man with an address in Australia told police he was kidnapped and tortured in Northern Ireland and photos were sent to his family for a "ransom" in connection with a gambling debt.
The details were given to Antrim Magistrates' Court, sitting in Ballymena, where the alleged victim was charged with illegally entering the UK in breach of a Deportation Order.
He is Judah-Moses Robb (28), with an address listed as Hemes Close in Pacific Pines in Queensland, Australia.
The defendant appeared at court via video link from prison and appeared to have a black eye.
The court was told he is an Australian national.
The court heard the defendant attended Antrim Police Station on January 23 saying he had been "kidnapped" and that he had been held at an address where he was tied-up, beaten and threatened.
He said he had arrived in Dublin three months ago and had travelled to Northern Ireland in a car around two weeks ago.
The defendant said he had arrived without a visa having been denied entry to the UK in June.
A police officer said the defendant was believed to have flown into the island of Ireland around two weeks ago.
It was outlined to the court that the defendant alleged he "stayed at an address in Hillsborough and was then transported" to an address in Antrim "where he was held for a number of days".
The defendant had said it was then that he was "tied up, beaten, and photographs of his injuries were taken and sent to "his family with demands for money made".
The prosecutor said the defendant had shown police pictures which had been sent to his family using his mobile phone.
"He stated that he had been tied up initially when photographs were taken and then had been locked in a garage in an industrial estate. He made the decision to escape the garage with the intention to go to Belfast Airport and hand himself in to Immigration,” the prosecutor said.
He said a family member then persuaded him to go to police.
The defendant "had injuries consistent with his account," the court was told.
The prosecutor added: "He has refused to make a complaint against anyone and indicates that he just wants to return home to Australia".
She said in the absence of a complaint investigations into the torture claims had not been progressed but police indicated "the photographs are consistent with the account he has given".
A defence barrister said the defendant had been "trafficked" but was taking a "pragmatic approach" and was pleading guilty to the immigration matter.
He said the Australian Embassy has been contacted and the defendant is due to fly to Australia when the court case was dealt with.
The barrister said the defendant had been "trafficked to Ireland, he was held against his will, he was working off a gambling debt".
The lawyer said the amount of money involved was unknown but the defendant had been in Dublin for around two-and-a-half months and was then "brought" to Northern Ireland "and made the claim that he was being tortured".
The barrister said the defendant was not allowed to be in the UK because he was in breach of a Deportation Order. He had originally been given that after arriving into Heathrow Airport in June 2025 from Thailand when he was in "possession of cannabis and due to that he was refused entry to the country".
The police officer told the court it was believed the "torture" claims were "verifiable" and photographs did "match" an address.
The defence lawyer said the defendant was charged with the immigration offence "for his own safety because he had nowhere else to go".
District Judge Nigel Broderick asked: "Are you telling me that the police are now charging people because they can't be kept safe?"
The officer said because the defendant was here illegally without a passport or ID and "due to the risk to him should he be released with no address and no support structure within the UK the decision was made to charge him" with the immigration offence.
The judge said it was "a unique and equally bizarre case".
He told the defendant: "You have presented yourself to police as being the victim of a kidnap and torture.
"You have shown photographs to he police and they believe they are consistent with your account. Despite the police believing your account it has been decided to charge you with a criminal offence of illegal entry to the United Kingdom.
"You have a defence in law, namely that you were the victim of being trafficked but you have chosen not to invoke that and have pleaded guilty.
"These are unique and bizarre circumstances. In that factual matrix I consider that the only sentence I could reasonably dispense is one of a conditional discharge".
The defendant was given a two-year conditional discharge on the immigration charge.