Woodridge man locked up for four and a half years for violent, meth’d up home invasion

A violent home invader on extreme drug binges for weeks at a time has been jailed after pulling a knife and threatening to kill a woman in a horror home invasion.

A Woodridge man who violently invaded a woman’s home, looking for drugs, gold and money, told a Logan court his extreme two gram per day meth usage kept him awake for five weeks at a time.

Reece Blain Purcell, 24, pleaded guilty at Beenleigh District Court to armed robbery in company with personal violence, assault occasioning bodily harm and two counts of wilful damage.

Purcell’s defence lawyer Jack Kennedy said his client’s drug use during the time of the offending was extreme.

“The offending occurred during a drug binge,” he said.

“My client has had a long standing history with methamphetamine, one of the most vehement habits I have seen.

“He was using two grams a day, an excessive amount to consume and was awake at times for some five or six weeks during these binges.”

The court heard Purcell, a woman and another man, entered a woman’s home in Woodridge on October 29, 2019.

Reece Purcell, aged 23, is wanted on an outstanding warrant relating to an alleged stabbing.

The three parties ransacked the victim’s home.

The woman with Purcell, punched the victim fifteen times to the face, choked her and dragged her by hair.

The man with Purcell told the victim to take off all her jewellery, put a knife to the victim’s bra and checked to see if she was hiding anything and then pulled out a tomahawk weapon.

Purcell turned over the mattress in the victim’s room and aggressively demanded to know where the gold, money or drugs were.

He then pulled out a knife, put it to the victim’s throat and threatened to kill her if she lied to him.

Purcell demanded the victim stay in the corner of the living room and aggressively yelled at her but she escaped through a window and ran to a man walking his dog outside.

She asked for his help and identified Purcell to police.

Judge Craig Chowdhury noted the defendant’s early plea of guilty and said Purcell’s drug use was of serious concern.

“This type of home invasion happens far too frequently in this district,” he said.

“You were using an astonishing amount of drugs and you’re lucky no further serious injury was caused to the complainant.”

Purcell was sentenced to four and half years in prison and will be eligible for parole on November 6 this year.