Two men have admitted to driving a seriously injured assault victim 93 kilometres to Geelong and, at one point, held an axe to her head.
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But Christopher Forster, 23, and Bryan Raymond Leigh, 22, deny they blindfolded the 18-year-old complainant for the frightening journey on March 11.
The complainant, who was in pain with facial bruising, an infected open cut wound on her leg and sore areas all over her body, was dumped at her mother’s Geelong house.
Bryan Leigh’s brother, Glen Leigh, is accused of assaulting the teenager at his Delacombe house over a period of time before he requested she be driven to her mother’s house.
Forster and Bryan Leigh pleaded guilty at the Ballarat Magistrates Court on Wednesday to one count each of threatening to inflict serious injury after the court allowed their charge to be dealt with in the lower court.
Crown prosecutor Andrew Moore told the court the complainant was blindfolded during the journey from Delacombe to Ballarat.
He said at one point while Forster was driving, Bryan Leigh held an axe to the complainant’s head, telling her to phone her mother but not to sound upset or tell her what was happening.
Mr Moore said the blindfold was removed when the pair stopped to have a cigarette. He said in all of the circumstances, Forster was compliant with Bryan Leigh.
Bryan Leigh and Christopher Forster deny they blindfolded the complainant, an aspect of the offending magistrate Ron Saines regarded as significant.
He requested the complainant be called to give evidence on Friday when the hearing will continue.
Glen Leigh, who fronted court on Wednesday, faces up to 20 charges in relation to the alleged assaults on the teenager.
The 27-year-old was remanded to re-appear on Thursday via video link.
Forster, who is in custody, also pleaded guilty to car theft and committing an indictable offence while on bail. Bryan Leigh is on bail.
