5AA host Stacey Lee reveals Mitchell Park home invasion victim is her relation

High-profile radio presenter Stacey Lee has recalled in harrowing detail how her aunt fell victim to a violent home invasion, taking a swipe at police priorities in the process.

The victim of a home invasion in which a 68-year-old woman was bashed with a fence paling has been identified as the aunt of media personality Stacey Lee.

The FIVEAA radio host on Monday morning revealed the frantic moments she learned “Aunty Jenny” was brutally injured in the brazen home invasion at Mitchell Park early Saturday morning.

Lee said she and her husband woke to 19 missed calls from family telling them her aunt – by marriage through her husband – had had her house broken into and Aunty Jenny had been bashed.

“Lives alone, no partner and kids and yeah, a group of kids – well we think they’re kids – smashed her front window in, went inside and bashed her,” Lee told FIVEAA Breakfast.

CCTV captured the moments before the break-in.

“She’s got scars and bruises and gashes on her face, she has some injuries to her hands and wrist.

“She’s been in hospital all weekend and is awaiting surgery.”

The ordeal lead to Lee taking aim at the government’s Declared Public Precinct model and the difficulties in attracting and retaining sworn police officers – points that were defended by Police Minister Dan Cregan.

A 17-year-old Whyalla boy was charged over the alleged attack on Maldon Ave that unfolded about 3am Saturday.

The boy, who cannot be identified, appeared in the Adelaide Youth Court on Monday via video link charged with aggravated serious criminal trespass and aggravated assault.

He made no application for bail and was remanded in custody to appear next month.

Neighbours have told The Advertiser there was a group of young men displaying anti-social behaviour by fighting among themselves and shouting.

A nearby resident’s CCTV captured some of the alleged assailants prior to the assault.

FIVEAA host Stacey Lee pictured after her own home was broken into. Picture: Tom Huntley

Lee told the radio program her aunt was attacked with a garden stake.

“They were congregating on the street at three o’clock in the morning or whatever ridiculous time it was, and being loud and yelling at each other,” she said.

“It sounded like booze bottles and stuff going on, and she sort of yelled out her window and said, ‘what are you doing? Shut up … we’re trying to sleep’.

“They had some sort of weapon and yeah, smashed it.”

Police are hunting a gang of thugs who bashed a woman with what is believed to be a wooden garden stake in her Mitchell Park home.

Asked by her co-host if it appeared as though the offender went into the house because Aunty Jenny had told them to be quiet, Lee replied: “It seems that way.”

In an unrelated incident, Lee went on to reveal her experience at the First Choice liquor outlet in Unley on Saturday morning when she watched a group of five youths walk from the store with armfuls of alcohol.

She said she asked the security guard if they had stolen it to which he replied yes – it was the second time that day.

“That’s at least five times in one week that bottle shop was targeted by what that security guard suspects is one group of people, and it just got me thinking over the weekend, what’s happening in our suburbs right now?” Lee said.

She took aim at the Declared Public Precinct initiative that cracks down on anti-social behaviour in designated areas including Rundle Mall, Hindley Street, North Terrace and – more recently – Port Augusta.

“I can’t help but think that these declared public precincts are not working because it’s moving the problem into our suburbs,” she said.

“These people are being forced to get on buses, get on trams, get on trains and go elsewhere.

“And it seems like authorities and the government departments that are in charge of looking after them don’t care where they go – just don’t be here.

“And now they’re coming into our suburbs.”

Mr Cregan condemned the violence at the weekend.

“Latest rolling year figures show an overall reduction in crime, with fewer house break-ins recorded – as police continue to target recidivist offenders,” he said.

“The Declared Public Precinct model is well established and has been an effective tool in reducing alcohol fuelled-violence and other behavioural-related offending.

“The Government is expanding on efforts to attract new recruits, support current officers and get more police on the frontline sooner.

“This includes an $81.8 million investment to recruit 189 more Police Security Officers, ensuring sworn police are deployed where they are needed most.”

Lee herself has also been the victim of crime. In April, she revealed her eastern suburbs home was one of five properties that had been broken into, with tens of thousands of dollars worth of items – including sentimental jewellery and the keys to a white Toyota Yaris stolen.

Treasurer Stephen Mullighan said police recruitment “has been a real challenge” since Covid.

“We have the largest number of police per capita anywhere in the country for a state, barring the Northern Territory of course given a small population,” he told FIVEAA breakfast.

“But we’ve got the highest number of police per capita but what’s been difficult for them is retaining police and recruiting new police to keep up with their funded numbers.

“What we’ve done in the interim is we’ve turned the police security officers – the staff who wear firearms but are in white shirts rather than dark blue shirts – we’ve given them more police-like powers and been able to put them on more sort of back-office duties to release more fully sworn officers out onto the front line.”

Mr Mulligan said the government had funded another 189 of those positions over the past two years which released more police to the front lines.

“But of course when you hear stories about what happened to Stacey’s family over the weekend, that’s obviously deeply shocking to the community and police obviously not only will be giving that their full attention but what we can do is make sure we’ve got a properly resourced police force and we’re putting everything in train so that the judiciary who tries to book these people who commit these crimes … that’s the task we’ve had and I think we’ve been getting under way with.”

Originally published as 5AA host Stacey Lee reveals Mitchell Park home invasion victim is her relation