Teenager faces Childrens Court of Queensland in Toowoomba for violent home invasion

An 18-year-old who was involved in a frightening Toowoomba home invasion has faced court, where his ‘extraordinary lack of insight’ into his offending was revealed.

A 17-year-old boy involved in a frightening Toowoomba home invasion in broad daylight had already amassed 18 pages of criminal history including 44 burglaries and 22 unlawful use of motor vehicle offences.

The boy, who as a juvenile offender cannot be named, was with 18-year-old Brayden Lawrence Gillmeister, a 12-year-old boy and an unidentified adult driving around Kearneys Spring in a stolen red Alfa Romeo sedan about 2pm, May 1, 2022.

After the car pulled up outside a residence, the 17-year-old got out and knocked on the front door, checking to see if anyone was home, the Children’s Court of Queensland at Toowoomba was told.

However, when the home occupant answered the door, the teenager walked away but was followed by the man back to the stolen car where the teen grabbed a hammer and brandished it at the man who backed off and the group drove away, the Children’s Court of Queensland at Toowoomba heard.

The four then travelled to another Kearneys Spring home where the 17-year-old armed with a knife and 12-year-old boy armed with a golf club broke into the home and stole property.

However, the family who owned the home at that point returned to find two people sitting in the stolen car in their driveway while the two others were still inside their home, Crown prosecutor Emily Coley told the court.

TOOWOOMBA, AUSTRALIA - NCA NewsWire Photos: JANUARY 11, 2023: **SUPPRESSION ORDER IN PLACE-SEEK LEGAL ADVICE BEFORE PUBLISHING** Lawyer Rowan King leaves Toowoomba CourtHouse. A high profile man has been charged with two counts of rape relating to an incident in October 2021. Picture: NewsWire / Sarah Marshall

The family’s home security camera footage, played to the court, showed the father get out of their car to confront the intruders while his wife and two daughters, aged 13 and 14, remained.

The 12-year-old dropped the golf club as he ran from the scene and the 17-year-old dropped his knife but picked up the golf club which he brandished at the homeowner.

Gillmeister then alighted from the stolen vehicle and joined the 17-year-old and the pair struck the family’s car with golf clubs, smashing two windows and cracking the car’s windscreen with the family in the car, Ms Coley said.

Because the family’s vehicle was blocking the driveway, the unidentified driver of the stolen car rammed their car multiple times until they had enough room to drive off, she said.

The 17-year-old was identified by police viewing the CCTV footage, Ms Coley said.

The now 18-year-old pleaded guilty to going armed so as to cause fear, burglary and stealing, burglary by breaking while armed and in company and armed robbery in company.

Referring to a pre-sentence report compiled on the teenager, Ms Coley said he showed no remorse, had little insight into his offending and told the report’s author that he had acted in self-defence when the homeowner confronted him.

The teenager also claimed it was the family’s fault for not getting their car out of the way so he and his mates could drive away, she said.

Ms Coley said when the report author reminded him that he and his friends had broken into the victim’s home, the teen simply replied that the victims were rich and could afford it.

Judge Anthony Rafter SC sentenced the teenager to detention.

Judge Anthony Rafter SC said, by the report, the teenager had shown an “extraordinary lack of insight”.

“There’s a lot of victim blaming here,” he said.

The court heard Gillmeister had been sentenced to the 273 days custody he had already served and was placed on two years probation.

The 12-year-old, now 13, was placed on 18 months probation having already served six months detention.

Judge Rafter sentenced the 18-year-old to 18 months detention but ordered he serve just 50 per cent of the sentence with 193 days of pre-sentence custody declared time served, leaving the teen with another three months detention to serve.

Judge Rafter noted despite the teen’s 18 pages of criminal history, no convictions had ever been recorded and he ordered the convictions on these offences also not be recorded except for the armed robbery in company offence for which the conviction was recorded.

Originally published as Teenager faces Childrens Court of Queensland in Toowoomba for violent home invasion