Deb Hancock is banging down her local MP’s door, demanding action

The alleged murder of a Caravonica man is the latest example of how a Cairns neighbourhood is becoming a hotbed of anti-social activity, making residents feel constantly unsafe.

CARAVONICA residents Deb Hancock and Donna Jelich have, for years, been made to think twice before they step out their front doors.

A social house in their neighbourhood, which has had several lots of residents over a 28-year period, has been the source of Ms Hancock’s and Ms Jelich’s discontent and feelings of unsafety ever since they moved in, as the house’s various residents have proved, to them, nothing but anti-social and intimidating.

Ms Hancock and Ms Jelich said they had endured numerous and frequent bouts of verbal abuse and acts of intimidation from their neighbours.

Now, after an alleged murder rocked their suburb last week, they’re beginning to believe their only chance for a peaceful life is to accept the burden of moving away from the area.

“When I go to bed I have nightmares, but when I wake up I’m living in a nightmare,” Ms Hancock, 64, said.

“I’m working on exhaustion point.

“I came home last night to screaming … (the person) waited for me to come home, (the person) was watching for me.

Caravonica woman Deb Hancock is afraid to go beyond the front door of her property due to the behaviour of others in the neighbourhood. Picture: Brendan Radke

“All I can do is continually ring triple-0. I’ve had to do that a number of times in a night.”

Ms Jelich said she endured 25 minutes of targeted verbal abuse at 9pm on Monday, October 10.

“(The person) calls us c*** suckers, motherf***** and racist c****. It’s absolutely foul language.

“Debbie is taking the brunt. They eyeball her.

“They’ve been coming back and forth. I don’t go out there when they’re out there. I’m too scared. To approach them is just not possible.”

Ms Jelich recounted a story wherein she saw a girl being dragged by her hair down a nearby street. She recounted a separate story where she found a dead python had been left in her letterbox.

“I’m just fatigued and losing hope. The house just controls our street. It’s like a cursed house now,” she said.

“I’m at the stage where I’m thinking about leaving.”

Donna Jelich, 59, is thinking about moving to a new place of residence to escape the torment of her neighbourhood. Picture: Alison Paterson

The self-employed bookkeeper deliberately delays her return home some days, just to avoid invariable encounters with anti-social neighbours.

“It’s making me a nervous wreck,” she said.

Both Ms Hancock and Ms Jelich said they have made complaints to the Department of Communities, Housing and Digital Economy with their concerns but feel like their concerns aren’t being taken seriously.

The Cairns Post has obtained email records between a senior housing officer from Housing and Homelessness Services and Ms Hancock that show Ms Hancock’s complaint was acknowledged on June 10, 2022, but state Ms Hancock would not be advised of action taken “to protect confidentiality of all parties”.

Forensic police arrive at the Caravonica home last week where a man was allegedly murdered. Photo: Alison Paterson

Other email records, from June 2, between Barron River MP Craig Crawford’s office and Ms Hancock show Ms Hancock submitted her concerns to the MP’s office and state the office made contact with the Department of Housing on her behalf. In the email, an electorate officer said the Department of Housing confirmed receipt of multiple complaints from Ms Hancock and “each incident has been investigated and resulted in the HSC (Housing Service Centre) taking appropriate action, which includes verbal and written warnings and notices to remedy breach”.

Despite this, the Caravonica residents feel their concerns have not been properly addressed.

“We feel very neglected; housing commission are not seeing our point of view at all. I feel very belittled,” Ms Jelich said.

“I felt like my life was expendable … nobody was listening to me,” Ms Hancock said.

Craig Crawford’s office was contacted for comment but he declined.

A Department of Housing spokesman said department officials were unable to comment on individual cases due to privacy laws but said “if our tenants are found to be breaching their responsibilities, the department takes action”.

Originally published as Deb Hancock is banging down her local MP’s door, demanding action