‘My client is no mastermind’: Pair accused of kidnap, murder of Sydney grandfather front court
Sydney Morning Herald
by Perry Duffin, Riley WalterFebruary 26, 2026
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Two men, Daniel Stevens, 24, and Gerard Andrews, 29, have appeared in court charged with the kidnapping and murder of Chris Baghsarian, an 85-year-old grandfather who was mistakenly targeted by the suspects. Baghsarian’s body was found near a golf course almost two weeks after he was abducted from his home in North Ryde, Sydney. The police allege that the men were searching for someone else but mistakenly grabbed Baghsarian due to their shared street address.
The suspects were arrested at their parents’ homes by heavily armed police. Both men were charged with kidnapping and murder. During their court appearances, Stevens initially requested bail through his lawyer, Javid Faiz, who emphasized the seriousness of the charges. Faiz described the situation as tragic and acknowledged its impact on the community. Meanwhile, Andrews’s solicitor, Paul McGirr, claimed that his client was not the mastermind behind the operation.
The case has highlighted the dangers of mistaken identity in criminal activities. Baghsarian, who had no connection to organized crime, was taken hostage by up to three men on February 13. Detectives believe the kidnappers were targeting Dimitri Stepanyan, a convicted armed robber and businessman whose father they mistakenly believed was Baghsarian. This error led to the grandfather’s kidnapping and subsequent murder.
In an unrelated incident, police also rescued a 53-year-old man who was kidnapped by four masked men in the same area. During a covert operation, police arrested a 16-year-old suspect and recovered the victim, who was taken to the hospital in stable condition. While this case appears unrelated to Baghsarian’s abduction, it underscores the ongoing concerns about kidnapping activities in the region.
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Originally published on Sydney Morning Herald on 2/26/2026