Brett James Caire: Shocking reason for Grindr attack

A South Australian father who helped his brother torture an elderly man he met on a dating app agreed to assault him to avoid having his sibling call him “a goodie two shoes”, a court has heard.

Brett James Caire, 37, was charged with a string of offences after his younger brother Charlie Michael Edward Caire used the dating app Grindr to lure the man to his brother’s Murray Bridge home before the siblings tortured him for four hours in February 2020.

During the four hours the elderly man was held captive, he was threatened with a needle — said to have contained AIDS — and was injected with it, tasered, had his hand cut with a carving knife and was victim to other assaults involving a gaslighter and secateurs.

Caire had initially pleaded not guilty to false imprisonment, aggravated blackmail, two counts of aggravated causing harm with intent, aggravated assault to cause harm and theft but later backflipped on his decision and pleaded guilty.

The court previously heard Charlie Caire and the elderly victim were communicating through the social media app — designed for gay, bisexual and transgender people — when he agreed to meet the victim on Adelaide Road.

Charlie then took the man to his brother's home where the victim consented to being blindfolded, handcuffed, and having his clothes removed.

But, his brother was woken by noises and found the two men in a small room in the back of his house where Charlie had taped the victim’s wrists, knees and ankles and was on a bed.

Judge Liesl Chapman told the court on Thursday Charlie had told his brother the man was a paedophile and offered to pay his sibling to help bash him.

The judge made no comment as to whether Charlie’s allegation about the man was true, telling the court it was irrelevant.

“You thought it was easy money to be made and thought the victim was a filthy, horrible person from what you had been told by your brother,” Judge Chapman said.

“You were also worried if you said no to your brother, he would call you a ‘goodie two shoes’.”

The brothers demanded $5000 from the victim, threatening consequences if he didn‘t, and went on to kick and punch him in his stomach, torso and legs after the brothers were told he didn’t have the money.

The victim then suggested picking up his bank card from his home and taking the siblings to an ATM, which they agreed.

When they arrived at the home, the victim’s friend was inside and offered to take money out from his bank, leading the brothers to a nearby ATM while the elderly man contacted police.

When the brothers returned, they saw police at the premises and drove away in the victim’s car.

Judge Chapman said the victim described the experience as the “most sustained, intense physical pain and fear” and “was scared he was going to die”.

The judge said he was also in “constant fear” Caire was going to return and assault him again.

She said the defendant would be sentenced on the fact his younger brother was “in command” and directed him.

The court heard Caire suffered PTSD, had borderline personality disorder and used drugs and alcohol to cope with his mental health issues which made him more easily influenced by others.

She said Caire’s offending was not premeditated but understood he was torturing the victim with the expectation he would profit from it.

Caire, who was high on methamphetamine at the time of the offence, was told by the judge his drug use was “no excuse for what you did” and must “answer for what you did while under the influence”.

“It was a brutal attack on a victim who was particularly vulnerable because of his age … He was terrified,” Judge Chapman said.

Appearing in the Adelaide District Court on Thursday, Caire was sentenced to five years and two months imprisonment with a non parole period of two years and seven months for his involvement in the crime, including a five per cent discount for his late guilty plea.

Judge Chapman said there were no special circumstances to suspend Caire’s sentence like she did with his 21-year-old brother.

She described Charlie Caire’s motivation as “vigilante justice” which she said needed to be condemned as it undermined the criminal justice system.

He was sentenced to five years and six months in prison with a non-parole period of two years and 10 months, but had it suspended for a three-year good behaviour bond.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7r7HWrGWcp51jrrZ7zZqroqeelrlwv86uq6FlkarAtb7ApaCaZ6edxm6u0Z6rrWWalrqmv4ycmKKqlWKvs8HTmqOlsV2WwbWtwqScnWWdlrtustGopGafop67pb6MsKCtoF2Xv7DAx56paKaVrMBuv9OoqbJnkWmEorHEnplym5VogaKCk55qmpmWlrOlgZVtbmudY5g%3D