Woman whose home was invaded by armed Arndale Shopping Centre robber Jason Lee Stokes tells of ‘sheer terror’, ongoing toll

A woman who’d just stepped out of the shower when a masked man busted into her home and robbed her at gunpoint has told a court of her “sheer terror” — and ongoing fear of all men who look similar.

• Police checking links between home invasion and jewellery robbery

A woman who fell victim to a violent Sunday morning home invasion – at the hands of a man who later robbed a jewellery store – says she now fears all men who fit his description.

On Thursday, Jason Lee Stokes’ victim told the District Court the incident had left her “more vulnerable and hyper-vigilant” than she could ever have imagined.

“The sheer terror of having a masked man break down a door to get to me, as I was half-naked in the bathroom, and then proceed to hold me at gunpoint in my own home has taken its toll in many ways,” she said.

“My heart pounds and my hands shake if anyone knocks at the door … I grieve the loss of feeling secure in my own home.

“I have had an irrational and yet visceral fear of all men who fit the attacker’s general description … my trust in humankind has been knocked and my view of the world negatively altered.”

Jason Lee Stokes during his crime spree, robbing a jewellery store at the Arndale Shopping Centre. He’d earlier robbed a woman in her own home.

Stokes, 44, has been convicted of numerous offences including three aggravated counts of theft using force, serious criminal trespass and unlawful possession.

The charges relate to a crime spree in April last year, which began when Stokes broke into a house at Myrtle St, Prospect, at 10.30am on a Sunday morning.

After forcing his way inside, Stokes threatened the lone female occupant with a firearm and then stole an iPad, jewellery, cash and other items.

Just two hours later and 4km away, Stokes armed himself with a shotgun, hid his face with a balaclava and robbed a jewellery store at the Arndale Shopping Centre.

He used a hammer to smash display cases and steal their contents before fleeing, but was subsequently arrested.

On Thursday, the woman – whom The Advertiser has chosen not to identify – said Stokes struck when she was completely defenceless.

“The attacker smashed the bathroom door when I was half-naked and drying my hair, and then made comments about my breasts, asking to look at them,” she said.

“I now have a heightened sense of vulnerability and relive the fear of the attack when I am showering or getting dressed.

“I consider myself a strong woman and I have been coping with the aftermath of this horrific attack as best I can, and with a lot of help.

“But the damage and trauma of something so seemingly random and aggressive has meant that I am constantly on the alert for other inexplicably violent acts to happen to me or my family.”

Stokes will be sentenced at a later date.

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