Mount Hutton Shed Becomes Scene of Horrific Torture
Kyna McAuley, the woman found guilty of directing the abduction and torture of a young woman in a Mount Hutton shed, is fighting to have her 10-year jail term reduced after arguing the 20-hour kidnapping was not "methodical, systematic and calculated" as originally described by the sentencing judge.
The horrifying ordeal occurred in May 2021 at a Kestrel Avenue property where the victim endured what prosecutors described as a sustained attack over 20 hours. During this time, the young woman was tied up, struck in the head with a hammer, had her teeth knocked out, was burnt with a cigarette, threatened with a "hot shot" of methadone and had boiling water poured over her head.
Victim Feared for Her Life During Ordeal
The court heard the victim became so terrified she believed she would be killed during the incident. At one point, she wet her pants when someone pinned her down and held out her arm while McAuley started a grinder and approached "as if she was going to cut off her arm".
This violent episode stemmed from a minor car accident that occurred when the young woman fell asleep behind the wheel and drove into a ditch while looking after McAuley's young daughter. The abduction took place the following day.
Legal Battle Continues in Appeal Court
Despite pleading not guilty and claiming she only fought with the young woman in the shed before leaving, McAuley was convicted by a Newcastle District Court jury in 2023 after a three-week trial. She was found guilty of both the abduction and interfering with a witness in the case.
Currently, McAuley is not eligible for parole until December 2027. However, more than two years after her sentencing, her lawyers took an appeal against the severity of her sentence to the state's highest court on Friday, November 24, 2025.
Public Defender Ian Nash argued that the decision to embark on the abduction was "opportunistic and impulsive" rather than premeditated. He told the court that "whatever was to hand - a kettle, a needle, an angle grinder in the shed - were taken up" during the violence.
Mr Nash also contended that while McAuley was involved initially and was the "prime mover" in the abduction, she did not direct two other men involved to detain the victim until the next day. Additionally, he argued the sentencing judge had failed to find a causal connection between McAuley's post-traumatic stress disorder and the abduction.
Prosecution Defends Original Sentencing
In response, prosecutors maintained that the judge's characterization of the crime as "methodical, systematic and calculated" was consistent with the evidence presented during trial. They argued it was clear McAuley was directing the abduction throughout the ordeal.
The prosecution also stated it was open to the judge to find there was not a sufficient connection between McAuley's mental condition and the offending, and that she had not demonstrated why the sentence was unreasonable or manifestly excessive.
The Court of Criminal Appeal has reserved its judgment on the matter, leaving both sides awaiting a final decision on whether McAuley's sentence will stand or be reduced.
