Matthew Namoa refused bail over alleged Glass House Mountains home invasion

A labour debt was the alleged cause of a terrifying home invasion on a Queensland farm, carried out by a group accused of links with a notorious Brisbane gang, which left a man with mutilated fingers following attempts to cut them off.

Police footage of arrests during Operation Whiskey Cheviot. Picture: QPS

A Logan teenager has been refused bail after being accused of a grisly gang related home invasion where a fruit farm owner nearly had his fingers severed off.

Details of the allegedly disturbing home invasion with a cleaver and 9mm handgun were revealed in court documents tendered during Matthew William Namoa’s bail application in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

Police accuse the teenager, from the Logan suburb of Kingston, of being involved in the horrifying home invasion and robbery with a group of “guns for hire” over an alleged debt owed.

Detectives made the arrest as part of Operation Whiskey Cheviot which was launched following a similar home invasion at Beerwah on November 28 last year, where a couple in their 70s were allegedly assaulted and threatened with weapons.

Namoa is not accused of being involved in any wrongdoing in relation to the Beerwah incident, with his lawyer Jade Bradley telling the court this was confirmed with the arresting officer.

Two people were charged over their alleged involvement, which revealed the group targeted the wrong home. Police allege their intended victim was an owner operator of a large fruit farm on the Sunshine Coast.

Photographs, addresses and demands, including instructions to “cut off or squash his fingers”, were allegedly found on mobile devices of the two people. They remain before the courts.

Namao’s lawyer applied for his bail in court on Tuesday. Picture: David Clark

These investigations led up to Namoa’s alleged role in another home invasion, this time at the intended target’s Glass House Mountains home on March 21.

Police allege five people attended the 60ha rural property in a Subaru where they entered the home where the victim, his wife and an elderly man were.

The group allegedly donned full-length dark clothing, balaclavas, face coverings and gloves and were armed with a meat cleaver, knives and a 9mm pistol.

It’s alleged in court documents the group threatened the intended victim before trying to cut off his fingers with a meat cleaver.

When this allegedly proved unsuccessful, the same accused tried to saw off his fingers, while another pointed the pistol and made further threats to the other victims.

Court documents state the alleged target was demanded to pay back a debt he owed.

“You owe people money, give me money,” one of the alleged offenders said.

Three phones belonging to the residents were allegedly taken along with a CCTV camera box before the group fled in the Subaru, which was found burnt out a short distance from the scene.

Police say the car was registered to one of the alleged group members and contacted him. He allegedly told detectives his car was stolen however detectives refuted his claim.

This alleged offender was arrested on May 1 while three others that police allege were involved were arrested on May 8 in Brisbane.

All of their matters remain before the courts.

More footage of the arrests of Operation Whiskey Cheviot. Picture: QPS

Namoa was found by police on the same day in the Logan suburb of Munruben and arrested.

Police allege an analysis of the phones seized from Namoa’s co-accused reveal how he was “instrumental” in planning, preparation and execution of offences.

Police further allege Namoa and his co-accused were “members and associates” of the Gorilla Gang, operating in Brisbane’s southside.

Detectives allege in court documents the criminal gang Namoa was associating with has an “absolutely hideous history” of inflicting violence in the community.

Court documents state the gang allegedly had a proven history for violent crime to earn money to “fund their elaborate lifestyle” regardless of the detriment to their victims.

It was alleged one of the co-accused was the person who arranged and counselled the group to commit the offences for $5000 each.

It was further alleged the group tried to recoup a $210,000 debt owed by the intended target in labour costs.

Defence lawyer Jade Bradley pushed for Namoa’s bail in court on Tuesday, saying he could abide by strict conditions and work at a cemetery in Logan.

Ms Bradley said Namoa also wanted to engage with a migration lawyer due to his legal situation as he was born in New Zealand.

His lawyer said the charges related a single night of alleged offending, and had not been before the courts before.

“One single horrific night,” magistrate Haydn Stjernqvist alleged.

Police prosecutor Nick Nitschke objected to the Kingston teenager’s bail, and alleged he was a danger to the public and was a “gang member”.

Sergeant Nitschke further alleged the 19-year-old and the co accused were “guns for hire” who were tasked to carry this crime for money, with forensic evidence and statements linking him to the scene.

“Mr Namoa quite potentially has spent his last day as a free man on Australian soil,” he alleged.

Mr Stjernqvist refused Namoa’s bail.

He faces 10 charges including three of robbery, three of deprivation of liberty and one of extortion.

No pleas have been entered.