Mark John Mumford and Benjamin Thomas Nesbitt sentenced after Pooraka home invasion, assault

A man on ecstasy had drunk 24 cans of Jim Beam pre-mix when his neighbour asked him to turn the music down – what happened next was terrifying.

Two brazen thugs may spend up to the next three years in prison after breaking into a northern suburbs home following a neighbourly dispute over noise complaints, holding a knife to a pregnant woman’s cheek and threatening to kill her in a terrifying attack.

Mark John Mumford, 27, and Benjamin Thomas Nesbitt, 26, appeared separately in the Adelaide District Court this week in front of Judge Paul Muscat having pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated cause harm, two counts of aggravated serious criminal trespass, one count of aggravated theft and one count of aggravated threatening to kill or endanger life.

The court heard Nesbitt, who had consumed “24 cans of pre-mixed Jim Beam, used some MDMA or ecstasy, and possibly also some methylamphetamine”, was residing at his Pooraka unit on October 5, 2023, when his neighbours began banging on the adjoining wall – saying his music was too loud and telling him to “shut up”.

Nesbitt responded by telling his neighbour to “confront him outside”, before a physical altercation ensued and he then told him “I’m going to get people to sort you out”, the court heard.

Mark John Mumford was sentenced on Thursday. Pictures: Facebook

“True to your word, about 15 minutes later, you returned to your neighbours’ unit,” Judge Muscat said. “You had rounded up three other men (one of which was Mumford) to help you ‘sort out your neighbour’.

Benjamin Thomas Nesbitt faced the Adelaide Magistrates Court after allegedly attacking his neighbour. Pictures: Facebook

“The windows of (your neighbour’s) unit were then smashed, and your group kicked at and pulled on the screen door. (Your neighbour) was trying his best to hold the screen door shut before managing to close and then deadbolt the front door. This did not stop you, however, and the front door was kicked in.

“(Your neighbour) was then assaulted in his bedroom. He was punched and had a knife held to his throat.

“(Your neighbour’s partner) was also threatened. She was then 12 weeks pregnant, not that you would have known that. A knife was held to her throat. The flat side of the knife was wiped across her cheek. There was a threat to stab her and her infant son, who was sleeping in his bedroom.”

On Thursday, the court heard Mumford was “very remorseful” for the offending.

Both Mumford and Nesbitt were sentenced to three years and four months imprisonment with a non-parole period of 18 months – backdated to October 5, 2023 when they were first taken into custody.