Angela Ferry jailed for brutal home invasion assault of sleeping woman

A Central Queensland woman woke in her home to a masked woman punching her in the face while another woman held her down - despite begging for the attackers to stop, she was ‘beaten’ unconscious and left there.

Angela Ellen Ferry, 42, was jailed for a Gladstone burglary in company and assault occasioning bodily harm in company. Generic image.

A woman who violently bashed another woman unconscious during a Central Queensland home invasion has been jailed.

Angela Ellen Ferry, 42, was sentenced in the District Court at Rockhampton after pleading guilty to burglary in company and assault occasioning bodily harm in company.

The court heard the victim was a 33-year-old woman who lived at Gladstone.

The victim woke in bed on the morning of January 19, 2024, in her home to Ferry punching her repeatedly in the face while another unknown woman held her down.

Ferry was wearing a mask but the victim could still recognise her.

The court heard the victim begged Ferry to stop hitting her but Ferry continued “beating” her until she lost consciousness.

She was left there unconscious and when she regained consciousness, Ferry and her accomplice were gone.

The injured woman had to get neighbours to help her call for emergency services.

The court heard the victim suffered “serious” injuries including a broken nose and “extensive” facial bruising and swelling.

Judge Jeff Clarke described photos of the woman’s facial injuries as “quite confronting.”

“The offending was particularly cowardly and gutless,” he said.

Judge Clarke said there was no provocation for the attack and the court heard Ferry had wrongly believed that her husband was having an affair with the victim.

“This (attack) is something to be thoroughly ashamed of,” Judge Clarke said.

“I’m told that you acted out of some irrational jealousy and sense for revenge and retribution.

“This was a completely lawless way to respond.”

The court heard the victim suffered “significant psychological impact” as a result of the attack and that was confirmed in her victim impact statement.

It was told she experienced post traumatic stress and she could not leave her home without help.

Judge Clarke noted the victim had, prior to the attack, already suffered from a disability and was receiving care in the community through NDIS.

“She suffers recurrent panic attacks from experiencing your attack in her home,” Judge Clarke told Ferry.

“Her sleep is impacted, experiencing nightmares - she had to go and live elsewhere for a period of time.”

The court heard a psychologist’s letter also confirmed the victim’s “damaged mental health” as a result of the assault.

Ferry had a four-page criminal history which included drug and dishonesty offending.

Judge Clarke said her latest offending was “incredibly serious and a marked escalation” of her previous offending.

The court heard Ferry’s accomplice had not been identified nor charged.

Barrister Scott Moon said Ferry, a mother of five, was born and raised in Central Queensland and she had predominantly worked as a cleaner.

He said Ferry, during her life, had struggled with alcohol, cannabis and meth use which she stopped at age 30 before relapsing prior to this offending occurring.

Judge Clarke sentenced Ferry to three years’ jail, declared 14 days’ pre-sentence custody as time already served, and set parole release at May 11, 2026.