Woman pleads guilty to armed kidnapping in Richmond

A second person has pleaded guilty to kidnapping a victim from a vehicle at gunpoint in Richmond.

Ashley Smith admitted her part in the armed kidnapping last September, which was intercepted by Vancouver police (VPD) after a “brief pursuit.”

According to a VPD statement last fall, the victim was assaulted, restrained and suffered significant, but non-life threatening injuries.

Four people were arrested at the scene, said police, which was the result of an investigation into home invasions.

Woman pleaded guilty to kidnapping

At Vancouver Provincial Court on Tuesday, Smith, 30, pleaded guilty to a charge of “kidnapping using (a) firearm simpliciter.”

She appeared in court charged with a total of 13 offences – many of which were unrelated to the kidnapping.

As well as the aforementioned armed kidnapping, Smith admitted to four other charges, including failing to stop for police and a breach of probation.

She was remanded in custody and will be sentenced in September, along with her co-accused, Michael Husain, who admitted in March to three charges, including kidnapping using a firearm, assault causing bodily harm and using a firearm to commit an indictable offence.

Also charged in connection with the kidnapping is Harman Parmar, 24, and a fourth person, whose name is subject to a court publication ban.