A TikTok creator who used her appearance to lure a Saudi Arabian royal into a terrifying kidnapping and robbery spree has avoided jail at the County Court of Victoria.
Catherine Colivas, 24, pleaded guilty to kidnapping, extortion, recklessly causing injury, robbery and possession of a weapon after the brutal attack on her 23-year-old victim in February last year.
The maximum sentence for kidnapping in Victoria is 25 years, but Judge Nola Karapanagiotidis let her walk free on Monday on community orders.
Her co-accused, Paris Kennedy, 22, was also released on good behavior bail after already spending 90 days behind bars following her arrest last year.
She had pleaded guilty to lesser charges of theft and burglary.
The court heard their victim forced to pay $40,000 in Bitcoin after meeting Colivas when they matched through a dating application.
Waste: Catherine Colivas (right) leaves the County Court of Victoria on Monday
Partners in crime: Paris Kennedy (left) and Catherine Colivas (right)
Colivas is the sister of convicted criminal Andrew Colivas who died of a suspected drug overdose in Vietnam in August.
The court heard she plied her date with drinks in Highett and dinner in Cheltenham before he took her home.
But when he walked Colivas to her door, he was attacked by three men, including Colivas’ drug-dealing boyfriend.
The victim then endured a nightmarish ordeal at their hands after being tied up with cable ties and threatened with a knife.
Judge Karapanagiotidis said the men threatened to cut off the man’s fingers if he did not hand over $20,000 in cash.
The court heard the man, who sold Rolex watches and traded cryptocurrencies, could only offer Bitcoin, which was transferred to him by a friend he had to call for help.
The social media influencers then grabbed the man’s keys to his house and drove there in the middle of the night to loot his property.
The court heard Colivas and Kennedy helped themselves to designer clothes, a Louis Vutton bag, a PlayStation 5 and several iPhones before eventually releasing the man, who immediately went to police.
He spent the night in the hospital with injuries to his wrists and head.
Paris Kennedy, 22, (right) is chased by reporters as she leaves the County Court of Victoria on Monday
Colivas had nothing to say Monday when questioned outside court
Judge Karapanagiotidis said Colivas played a major role in the evil plot.
“You were bait or bait,” she said. “You played a crucial role.”
But the judge ruled that Colivas had proven “exceptional circumstances,” which was required by law to keep her out of jail with the 30-month community corrections order.
Those reasons included her youth, upbringing, fragile mental health, prospects for rehabilitation and the fact that her criminal brother had died while she waited for justice.
Andrew Colivas, 25, and VSatuala Atulia, 24, was on holiday with friends in Southeast Asia when they died unexpectedly.
Court records obtained by Daily Mail Australia show Atulia had 78 court appearances since 2019, while Colivas had 12 court appearances dating back to 2021.
His death had had a devastating effect on Colivas, a hairdresser and beautician, who now visited his grave three times a week.
“I admit that it was a shocking experience for you,” Judge Karapanagiotidis said.
The court heard Kennedy, originally from Sydney, had a similar story of childhood problems.
Andrew Colivas’ sister (right) said her ‘heart hurts’ in a tribute to her brother (left) in August
The cosmetic tattoo artist had already served a community corrections order she received in New South Wales following a violent altercation.
Judge Karapanagiotidis accepted that Kennedy had shown remorse with a sincere apology to the court and her victim, stating that she was ‘truly sorry’.
Both women beamed with joy when they heard they could walk free from court. The pair declined to speak to a waiting media pack outside the court.