Christmas in jail for kidnappers of elderly woman

Two women charged with the kidnapping and robbery of an 82-year-old woman in south Auckland will spend Christmas and New Year in jail.

Pamela Renata, 24, and another woman whose name was suppressed, were both remanded in custody when they appeared in the Auckland District Court today, charged with aggravated robbery and kidnapping. Renata was to appear again on January 14 and the other woman, a 26-year-old, was remanded to appear again on January 7.

The second woman's name was suppressed until then to allow her to tell her family of the charges, her lawyer David Niven told the court.

The two women were arrested overnight after publicity about the kidnapping and robbery of an 82-year-old woman, who was driven around in the back of her own car before she was robbed of more than $1000 last Friday. A third person was still being sought by police.

The two woman were arrested at a house in south Auckland after police executed a search warrant.

During their appearance in court today the woman whose name was suppressed offered a single-fingered gesture to an NZPA photographer.

A third woman being sought by police was described as "quite large", about 1.7m tall, wearing dark jeans and a dark green or black t-shirt with a logo on the front.

- NZPA