TikTok star escapes jail after kidnapping Saudi Royal in dating app scam and stealing $40k bitcoin from him
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Beautician and hairdresser Catherine Colivas, aged 24, pleaded guilty to kidnapping, extortion, recklessly causing injury, theft and gun possession over the attack on her unnamed 23-year old victim, which happened in February last year.
Judge Nola Karapanagiotidis handed her a community corrections order for her crime on Monday (December 16) at the County Court of Victoria in Australia.
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Hide AdHer co-accused, 22-year-old Paris Kennedy, 22, was also released on a good behaviour bond after having already spent 90 days behind bars after her arrest last year. She had pleaded guilty to lesser charges of theft and burglary.
The court heard the victim was forced to pay $40,000 (around £32,000) in Bitcoin after meeting Colivas when they matched on a dating app. She met him for dinner and drinks, and it was after the victim drove her home after their date that he was set upon by three men, including Colivas' drug dealing boyfriend. He was then subjected to a physical ordeal where his hands were bound with cable ties and threatened at knifepoint.
Judge Karapanagiotidis said the men threatened to cut the man's fingers off if he didn't hand over $20,000 (around £15,000) in cash. The court heard the man, who sold Rolex watches and traded in crypto currency, could only offer Bitcoin, however, which he then transferred across by a friend who he was made to call for help.


The social media influencer and her accomplices then took the man's house keys and drove to his home in the middle of night to ransack his property. The court heard Colivas and Kennedy helped themselves to designer clothes, a Louis Vutton bag, a Playstation 5 and several iPhones before finally releasing the man.
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Hide AdHe immediately went to police to report what happened to him. He spent the night in hospital with injuries to his wrists and head.
Judge Karapanagiotidis said Colivas was instrumental to the evil plot. “You were a lure, or bait. You played a crucial role,” she said. But the judge also ruled Colivas had proven “exceptional circumstances”, which was required by law to keep her out of prison with the 30-month community corrections order.
Those reasons included her youth, upbringing, fragile mental health, prospects of rehabilitation and the fact her criminal brother had died while she was awaiting justice. Convicted criminal Andrew Colivas, 25, died in south-east Asia unexpectedly from a suspected drug overdose in Vietnam in August.
The court heard Kennedy, who originates from Sydney, had a similar story of childhood difficulties. Judge Karapanagiotidis accepted Kennedy had shown remorse with a heartfelt apology to the court and her victim, stating she was 'truly sorry'.