A man who was tied up and robbed of his Mercedes-Benz and $400 during a Grindr date by killer Trent Jennings in 2011 has blasted Jennings’ recent sentence for being in possession of police handcuffs and dozens of police uniforms, branding his 12 months behind bars “insulting”.
Jennings was in January reported missing after he failed a court-mandated drug test; the next day police were called to a train station in Newcastle where staff found two suitcases containing police paraphernalia.
Convicted killer Trent Jennings’ sentence was upheld in the District Court this weekCredit: NSW Police
Inside were police-issue handcuffs, NSW Police and Department of Defence letterheads, NSW Ambulance uniforms and a plethora of police uniforms, including t-shirts, jackets, badges and epaulettes for every NSW Police rank from probationary constable to deputy commissioner.
Australian Federal Police badges and uniform patches were also inside Jennings’ suitcases; Jennings had been “in a relationship, [and the] person had given him those items,” being the handcuffs and Federal Police paraphernalia, his Legal Aid lawyer told the District Court last Tuesday.
The AFP declined to answer questions about how Jennings came to be in possession of the equipment and with whom he was in a relationship. The organisation said it was undertaking a review.
“All AFP personnel are required to report any incidents involving the loss, theft or compromise of AFP controlled items,” a statement said.
‘It’s crucial that Mr Jennings is held accountable for his actions. Incarceration and a significant sentence … is a just outcome.’
Richard Foster, who was tied up and robbed by Trent Jennings in 2011
In 2011, Jennings met Richard Foster on dating app Grindr while, unbeknownst to Foster, Jennings was on day release from Morisset Psychiatric Hospital.
During the encounter, Jennings tied Foster up and stole his Mercedes-Benz. He was eventually apprehended six days later asleep in the car in Byron Bay, days after he had been pulled over, fined and allowed to drive on by highway police in Coffs Harbour.