By Shannon Pitman, Open Justice reporter of 
Blade Herbert has been sentenced for his role in a home invasion and kidnapping. Photo: NZME
A man who had been kidnapped in a "drug deal gone wrong" was being driven to an ATM by his abductor when the vehicle was stopped at a police checkpoint.
The victim used the opportunity to escape, ending the 90-minute ordeal that began when Blade Herbert and his associate forced their way into the person's home and demanded money.
This week, Herbert, 32, appeared for sentencing in the Whangārei District Court on charges related to kidnapping, aggravated assault, burglary and driving while disqualified.
The court heard that Herbert and an associate arrived at a Whangārei address in August 2024 and forced their way in through the front door.
Dressed in black clothes and wearing a glove, Herbert began yelling at two victims in the lounge.
"Where is the money? Where is the money?" he asked, insisting the victims owed him $7000.
Herbert picked up an axe from within the lounge and began swinging it while threatening to "smash their heads".
He told them there was a man outside with a gun before roundhouse kicking one of the victims in the chest after they stood up from the couch.
Herbert then went into a bedroom where a third victim was asleep and woke him up.
He stood over him with the axe, leading to the victim handing over $100.
The three victims were detained in the house for about 90 minutes.
One young woman attempted to take her phone with her to the bathroom, but Herbert threatened violence, forcing her to surrender the device.
Eventually, one of the victims offered to withdraw cash from an ATM, prompting Herbert to leave the house with him in a car.
But Herbert, a disqualified driver, was pulled over at a checkpoint on Riverside Drive, Whangārei, and the victim escaped and told police he had been kidnapped.
The court heard Herbert had racked up convictions every year for the past 18 years, with his most recent being a high-profile car chase through Auckland.
In January, while on bail for the kidnapping, Herbert led 20 police cars through Auckland's suburbs in a chase that ended in the car park of Onehunga's Dressmart shopping mall.
That offending resulted in a 13-month term of imprisonment, imposed in June.
At this week's sentencing, his lawyer Wayne McKean submitted that his client had lived with undiagnosed ADHD and carried trauma from time spent in state care.
"I have a vivid picture of this young boy just being exposed, through no fault of his own, to violence, drug abuse and alcohol abuse and then we have this terrible situation of the state taking over the care of him at the age of seven and up until his teens just being moved from pillar to post," McKean said.
"Anyone in that situation, doesn't matter how they were born, is going to end up, in my respectful submission, where Mr Herbert is today."
McKean requested any sentence handed down come with a recommendation to the Parole Board that Herbert be assessed for ADHD before release.
"That's going to be compelling to the Parole Board and it would be a disaster if that was left untreated."
Crown prosecutor Eilish O'Connor said the victims in the kidnapping matter had a right to feel safe in their own home.
Judge Gene Tomlinson agreed and noted that it appeared to be a drug deal gone wrong.
In sentencing him, the judge said that throughout Herbert's criminal career, he had multiple opportunities to access help.
"The state has tried and he's just said, 'not interested, I'm going to keep doing what I want to do'," Judge Tomlinson said.
However, the judge said he wanted Herbert to put in the work while in prison.
"I don't want you to have a crushing sentence that will make you say, 'there's no point in trying'," Judge Tomlinson said to Herbert, who was standing in the dock.
"I want you to try. I want you to succeed.
"Work towards that first Parole Board hearing and do what you need to do. You've got to be really strong at doing what they want, so you have a chance to make changes so you don't keep coming back."
Herbert was sentenced to four years and six months' imprisonment.
His associate will defend his charges at trial.
* This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald.
