‘Terrifying’: Nurse watches break-in at family home on phone

A Queensland nightshift nurse has detailed the terrifying moment her home security-linked phone alerted her to teen intruders breaking into her house as her husband and three children slept. SEE THE VIDEO.

A Hervey Bay nurse working in the early hours of the morning was horrified to open a notification on her phone from her security cameras and realise three youths were trying to break into the home where her husband and three daughters were sleeping.

Jessica Crighton was working at Hervey Bay Hospital on Wednesday when she received the notification about 1.30am.

The notification read: “someone spotted at the front door”.

When she looked at the video, she saw footage of three males at the front door of her Nikenbah home.

Mrs Crighton immediately called her husband Nathan and alerted him to the situation.

“I was watching these people break into my house with my children inside and there was nothing I could do about it,” she said.

Youths breaking into a home in Nikenbah overnight.

Two of the males had gained entry to the home via the garage door and had managed to take the couple’s car keys in the few minutes it took Mr Crighton to get out of bed and go into the kitchen.

The third male waited outside.

In one video taken on security cameras inside the home, one of the males is seen looking in the direction of their six-year-old daughter’s room, who sleeps with a night light on.

“I can’t even describe the feeling that someone is watching your baby while she sleeps,” Mrs Crighton said.

“It was terrifying.”

When Mr Crighton went outside, the males were inside one of the cars, but took off when they saw him approaching.

He notified police, who were quickly on the scene and searched for the young trio for hours, but no arrests have yet been made.

Youths breaking into a home in Nikenbah overnight.

In the wake of the terrifying incident, Mrs Crighton said she was worried about going back on night shift.

Nikenbah was usually a safe community, she said, and the couple had never experienced anything like the incident before.

She said it was easy to see the three intruders knew what they were doing as it took them only three minutes to enter the house and take what they wanted.

Mrs Crighton praised the quick police response, but said their experience made it clear what they were up against as the youth crime crisis continued.

Jessica and Nathan Crighton's Nikenbah home was broken into.

The couple changed the locks on the home and the keys to their cars and now have to wait until an arrest is made before they can claim insurance.

Mrs Crighton said youths had no idea of the emotional impact of their crimes or how hard she and her husband had worked to build their lives.

Police said no arrests had been made but investigations were continuing.

Anyone with information can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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