Thursday Island family traumatised for the sake of an Apple watch in frightening break-in

A mother was breastfeeding her baby at night on Thursday Island when she noticed an intruder in front of her in a frightening break-in that left other children in the house obsessing about “baddies”, a court has been told.

Jahlil Oxenford Pryce, 27, pleaded guilty to 10 charges, including a break-in on Thursday Island when the mother was home breastfeeding her baby.

A mother was breastfeeding her baby on Thursday Island when she noticed an intruder in front of her in a frightening break-in that left other children in the house obsessing about “baddies”, a court has been told.

Jahlil Oxenford Pryce, 27, pleaded guilty in Cairns Magistrates Court recently to 10 charges, including enter premises by break, wilfully damaging police property, unlawful use of a motor vehicle and breaching bail and was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment, with a parole release date at the one-third mark on October 14, 2025.

Police prosecutor Alice Lane said Pryce had 10 prior convictions for similar offences and the most recent offence happened on Thursday Island, where he had been living.

“This type of offending is on-form for the defendant … (he) has already been sentenced to terms of imprisonment for both of these offences and it has not acted as a deterrent,” Ms Lane said.

Jahlil Pryce, 27, broke into a family’s home and also caused wilful damage to the Thursday Island Police Station, the court was told.

“This is the kind of offending that our community is sick of seeing. They are tired of people stealing their cars and they are tired of people breaking into their houses.”

The court heard the experience was “terribly frightening” for the mother whose home Pryce broke into.

“He was already on a suspended sentence … and it didn’t deter him from entering the house of a woman who was breastfeeding her child and you can only imagine how terrifying it would be for this member of our community to stand there, who was holding her baby, to see a man she did not recognise standing in her house,” she said.

Police prosecutor Alice Lane said the family was terrified by the break-in, with the children still talking about the “baddie” who broke into their home.

“The victim statement talks about the impact on this family’s children who still to this day talk about the ‘baddie’ who broke in. This is a matter that has shaken up a whole family in our community.”

Defence solicitor Krystal Stringfellow said Pryce had prospects of rehabilitation and had expressed interest in working as a ranger.

“He’s had some issues with methylamphetamines and that is obvious on his criminal history. He’s remorseful … he’s now been remanded in detox and his head’s clearer and he’s feeling better,” Ms Stringfellow said.

Magistrate Sandra Pearson said Pryce’s guilty pleas saved the victim, who was “so frightened” by the experience, from having to give evidence in court.

Magistrate Sandra Pearson said Pryce, who stole an Apple watch in the break-in, had “almost ruined” someone’s life for the sake of “no great benefit” to himself.

“She was home with her children and I’m sure you didn’t intend to scare a woman who was home alone with her baby but that’s what you did and that’s had a profound effect on her and her family and it’s not right that this goes on in the community,” Ms Pearson said.

“People should be able to live in their own homes without fear … as it was, you got away with something with some value, but not significant. So for no great benefit to you, you’ve almost ruined someone’s life. This has to stop, you have to stay out of people’s homes.”

Originally published as Thursday Island family traumatised for the sake of an Apple watch in frightening break-in