A 32-year-old man has been charged with kidnapping and domestic violence offences after police allege he held a 44-year-old Cessnock man captive for two weeks, driving him to South Australia before returning to the Hunter.
Police say the victim was assaulted and held against his will between Sunday 10 August and Sunday 24 August 2025. The ordeal ended when the man made a dramatic escape near John Renshaw Drive at Buchanan after his alleged captor fell asleep. Stumbling from nearby bushland, he was helped by passing motorists before being treated by paramedics and taken to Maitland Hospital.
Following extensive inquiries, specialist officers swooped on a Holmesville property about 8.30am Wednesday (27 August), where the 32-year-old was allegedly found hiding in long grass. He was arrested and charged with multiple offences, including kidnapping with intent to commit a serious indictable offence (DV).
The accused was refused bail and is due to reappear before Newcastle Local Court on 29 October 2025. Police have also seized a vehicle believed to have been used in the kidnapping for forensic analysis.