Lance Dixon to home invasion victim: “You sold my dad a s--- car. I’m going to get you”

In the dark of night, three men allegedly forced their way into a Rockhampton home and set upon a father and son in a violent ordeal that left one with a fractured skull.

A father was left with a fractured skull after he and his son were the victims of a violent home-invasion sparked by the sale of a “lemon car”.

Jeffrey Willington, 57, and his son Michael Campbell, 24, were attacked in their residence on August 5, 2020 by three men.

Two of the attackers – Lance Edward Dixon, 25, and Bailey Joseph Lill, 19 – pleaded guilty on July 30 in Rockhampton District Court to one count of burglary by break with violence, armed and in company.

They also pleaded guilty to two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm while armed and in company.

Co-accused Steven Thomas Wegert has yet to have his matters dealt with by the court and Dixon’s father, Anthony Malcolm Dixon who purchased the car, pleaded not guilty to all three charges.

A trial date for Mr Dixon has yet to be set and his matters were adjourned for mention on August 16.

The court heard Anthony Dixon and Mr Willington had been friends for years and then Mr Willington sold Mr Dixon a “lemon” car.

Crown prosecutor Tiffany Lawrence said Lill and Mr Wegert were associates of Lance Dixon.

She said Mr Campbell had gone to Dixon’s sisters place on August 5 and told her “your dad needs to pull his head in” after Anthony Dixon had been heard by Mr Campbell at the Frenchville Sports Club earlier that day calling him and his father a “bunch of dogs”.

Ms Lawrence said it was alleged Anthony Dixon banged on their back door about 10pm that night, after Mr Campbell and Mr Willington went to bed.

Lance Edward Dixon, 25, was one of three men who carried out a home invasion, assaulting two men over a 'lemon car' sold to Lance's dad Anthony.

Ms Lawrence said Mr Willington got out of bed and allegedly saw Anthony Dixon run to the front of the house.

She said that moments later, there was a knock on the front door with Mr Willington finding Lance Dixon at the door with a red bandana covering his face and saying “you sold my dad a s--- car. I’m going to get you”.

Ms Lawrence said it was alleged Lill and Wegert also had their faces covered.

She said Mr Willington denied selling Mr Dixon’s father a ‘s--- car’ and told them to leave.

Ms Lawrence said the trio then repeatedly told Mr Willington they were going to beat him up and pulled the security screen until it opened.

She said Dixon entered first, followed by Lill and allegedly Wegert.

Ms Lawrence said it was alleged Lill and Wegert were armed, one with a knife and the other a stake from Mr Willington’s tomato garden.

She said Mr Campbell ran down stairs and “shoulder barged Lill and Wegert”.

Ms Lawrence said the trio then punched and used weapons to strike Mr Willington who fell to the floor and was kicked while on the ground.

She said Mr Willington was slashed with a knife and sustained a cut below his right knee.

Ms Lawrence said Mr Willington was then knocked out and the trio then turned their attention to Mr Campbell who was standing over his father trying to protect him.

She said Dixon grabbed Mr Campbell by the shirt and demanded he tell him where their money was.

Ms Lawrence said Lill and Mr Wegert allegedly looked for items to take.

She said the trio were spooked by a neighbour flashing a torch into the dwelling and they fled.

Ms Lawrence said Lill’s fingerprints were found on a car belonging to one of the victims.

She said two red bandannas and a black shirt were found in a creek bed with Lance Dixon and Mr Campbell’s DNA found on the shirt.

Ms Lawrence said Mr Willington sustained a fracture to his right orbit on his skull, multiple fractures of the nasal and facial bones, along with the cut to his leg.

She said a search of Lance Dixon’s residence resulted in clothes worn during the incident being located.

Ms Lawrence said Lill admitted to drug and alcohol intoxication that night.

She said Wegert told police “I was there but I wasn’t”.

Ms Lawrence said since the incident, Mr Willington had struggled to hold down a job while Mr Campbell found he had a lack of motivation in life and no longer socialised as much as he used to.

The court heard Mr Willington was now hypervigilant, had sleep issues and required ongoing dental work while Mr Campbell quit playing football and had been abusing alcohol and wasting money.

Lance Dixon’s barrister Jordan Ahlstrand said his client had become angry at Mr Campbell’s visit to his sister’s residence.

Lance Edward Dixon, 25, was one of three men who carried out a home invasion, assaulting two men over a 'lemon car' sold to Lance's dad Anthony.

He said Dixon had a few drinks that night, but was not that intoxicated that he couldn’t recall what happened, and accepted full responsibility.

Lill’s barrister Julie Marsden said her client came from a good family and had worked under his father at a sports club until his father sacked him due to drug use.

She said Lill had been in a relationship with a girl in Brisbane for the past 14 months and planned to live with her when released from prison and aimed to do university studies in social work.

Ms Marsden said he had used marijuana since he was 13 or 14, then methamphetamines when he was 18, “smoking ice every other day”.

Judge Jeff Clarke said the attack was “all over nothing”.

“Striking unarmed people in their home in the middle of the night is atrocious behaviour,” he said.

“It’s just ridiculous these young people have got themselves in the position they are in over a car.”

Judge Clarke sentenced Dixon to four years prison, suspended after 14 months, declared 357 days time served with immediate parole release.

He sentenced Lill to 3.5 years which was cumulative on a sentence he had received in Gladstone District Court on July 15, 2020, for armed robbery in company. 

Judge Clarke set Lill’s parole eligibility date as October 12, 2021.