Man fakes own kidnapping to extort money from his mum
A man from Sydney accused of faking his own kidnapping to extort $10,000 from his own mother has faced court.
Raynor Earnshaw, from Toongabbie, is accused of faking an assault on himself and forcing his mother to pay a ransom.
The 31-year-old’s mother visited the police on Tuesday morning after she received a message from her son.
“If you don’t give me money you’re never going to see me again. Mum I need help!” Earnshaw is alleged to have written to his mum in a text.
“Do you think I want this? I need this or I’m done.”
The messages ended up sparking a large-scale police response, as they seemed to get darker.
“Thanks, mum, that is the start. It’s going to be a finger every f****** 15 minutes,” he told his mum alongside a photograph of a torso with two stab wounds.
After discovering leads, police ended up tracking Earnshaw to a cafe in Brighton Le Sands where he was found unharmed and hanging out with friends.
CCTV showed the 31-year-old had spent several hours at the cafe and was seen making regular phone calls.
He was arrested by police and charged with a number of offences, including giving false information and using a carriage service to menace.
Earnshaw faced court on Wednesday and was refused bail.
Court orders have also been put in place to prevent him from contacting his mother.
The 31-year-old will face court again next month.