Notorious wannabe girl gangster who kidnapped her 'friend' breaks down in court trends now
One of two young wannabe gangster girls who admitted to kidnapping their friend, stabbing her and throwing her into the boot of her own car has told a court she is 'disgusted' in her behaviour before conceding she still has drug issues.
In a case that rocked a small town on Sydney's outskirts, Nisha Phillips, 24, was found in the boot of her own Holden Commodore on the Hume Highway at Berrima on February 3, 2021, while pregnant teen Latia Henderson and Kayley Lee Ketley were arrested.
For more than 12 hours before a dramatic police intervention, Henderson, then 18, and Ketley, then 24, had tortured the victim.
The charged pair loved flashy cars, gangster talk and rap music - Kayley 'Kayza' Ketley's social media pages are littered with pictures of guns, girls, 'gangsta' jewellery, and rap lyrics such as 'murda is my bizness'.
Latia 'Tia' Henderson's is filled with cars, bikes and tributes to her murdered teen lover, Brayden Dillon, shot dead aged 15 as he slept by a Brothers 4 Life gang member in an alleged revenge killing.
Earlier this year both women pleaded guilty to the kidnapping.
Latia Henderson (pictured) has pleaded guilty to her role in the horror kidnapping
Both women on Thursday fronted Campbelltown District Court on Thursday for sentence - Ketley in her prison greens sitting in the dock, while Henderson wore a green dress and sat at the back of the courtroom.
Henderson, who was released on Supreme Court bail just weeks before she gave birth to her son in August last year, pleaded guilty to a charge of take and drive conveyance and take/detain in company with the intent to commit serious indictable offence occasioning actual bodily harm.
The 20-year-old also pleaded guilty to a related charge of driving without a licence and had two further charges dismissed.
Meanwhile, Ketley, 26, who remains behind bars, pleaded guilty to two charges of take and drive conveyance without consent of the owner, kidnap in company with serious indictable occasion, reckless wounding and cause grievous bodily harm to person with intent.
Ketley pleaded guilty to a backup charge of possessing a prohibited drug and had six charges withdrawn.
During a sentence hearing on Thursday, Henderson tearfully told the court she was 'absolutely disgusted in myself'.
'I'm extremely remorseful for the victim, she didn't deserve that,' she said.
Kayley Ketley (pictured) has also pleaded guilty. Picture: Facebook
She gave reasons behind her offending, including that she grew up in a 'domestically violent home'.
'I used to just leave home and get drunk. I'd go into the city and I would just take my anger out on anybody,' she said through tears.
Henderson told the court that her stepfather, who was a bikie, used to physically abuse her mother as well as herself.
As a result, Henderson told the court that she used to leave home and resorted to alcohol and drugs including ice and GBH.
She conceded to still having an issue with drugs, telling the court that she used ice on Wednesday but wants to change her life around.
'I want to be a better person and I want a good life for my son, I want to change,' she said.
Henderson's grandmother Jacqueline Francisco told the court that her granddaughter was a 'lovely girl but has issues like most teenagers'.
Ketley's mother Sandra Anne Mulawa also took to the witness stand to tell the court her daughter was 'a little disturbed' while growing up.
Henderson (pictured) cried while giving evidence in court, saying she was disgusted in herself
She would later find out the anger was a built-up response to being raped by her stepfather and her step-grandfather.
Footage was played to the court showing Henderson and Ketley taking videos and singing as Ms Phillips was in the boot.
Ketley's defence barrister Linda McSpedden told the court the 26-year-old had severe mental health issues that should be taken into account on sentence.
'She was still very young at the time of offending and needs long-term mental-health care,' she said.
Defence barrister for Henderson John Peluso said the court needed to take into account the remorse the young woman showed in court on Thursday.
'Her attitude in court here, there is hope,' he told the court.
'Latia Henderson was living in a very difficult life situation by the time she was 18.'
Crown prosecutor Joel Diggins told the court both women deserved to be put in custody, as they both stabbed Ms Phillips.
He said the victim was forced
