Jonathan Cusick, Jayden Neilson guilty of burglary, assault
Enraged over a purported debt, a young Brisbane man recruited his friend for a terrifying, violent night-time operation, a court has heard.
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A young Brisbane man who believed a former school friend owed him money recruited another person to conduct a violent midnight raid with him, bashing the teenager and his grandfather savagely before absconding with electronics and bikes.
Hamilton man Jayden William Neilson, 23, pleaded guilty in Brisbane District Court on Wednesday to robbery in company with personal violence, burglary and serious assault of a person over the age of 60, all committed on or about August 13 last year at Brighton Tce, Sandgate.
His co-defendant, Brighton man Jonathan Thomas Cusick, 22, was previously sentenced in the Sandgate Magistrates Court, with police prosecutors in that instance dropping the charge of robbery against Cusick so as to deal with him summarily on the charges of burglary and serious assault of a person over the age of 60.
A third co-accused is yet to be dealt with by the courts and cannot be named at this time.
The court heard the then 18-year-old victim, Aidan Donohoe, was known to Neilson, while Donohoe’s 71-year-old grandfather Ian Donohoe was also home at the time of the home invasion.
Crown prosecutor Ron Swanwick told the court at some point during the night, Aidan went outside his room for a drink of water.
Through the window, he saw Neilson, Cusick and a third person dressed in black on the front lawn.
The court heard the group ran under the house and let themselves in through an unlocked side door.
Once inside, Aidan was dragged into his bedroom and told, “Pay your tick, c***”.
Neilson struck Aidan 20 times to the head, neck, shoulders and chest, the court heard.
Neilson repeated, “Pay your f****** debt”, to which Aidan replied he didn’t owe him anything.
The noise woke Ian, the court heard, who, witnessing the men assaulting his grandson, asked, “It takes three of you, does it?”
Ian was pushed over and fell to the floor, at which point he was bashed before the men left through the same door they entered through, the court heard.
The court heard Neilson took a watch, iPhone, PlayStation system and two push bikes from the Brighton Tce address.
Mr Swanwick told the court that after Neilson’s arrest, police discovered he had previously offered an associate $500 to bash Aidan and invade his home.
That same acquaintance was offered Aidan’s PlayStation for $700 in the days following the offence, while Neilson would brag to him about punching Aidan repeatedly and “rattling” him with “one swift king hit”.
It was submitted on Neilson’s behalf that he was living in assisted accommodation via the NDIS due to a diagnosis of Level 2 autism spectrum disorder.
He had never held employment, the court heard.
Judge Julie Dick SC described Neilson’s problem as a combination of a poor choice of companions, too much time on his hands and alcohol and drug abuse.
Neilson was sentenced to two years’ probation with no convictions recorded.
Cusick was sentenced on February 4 this year to 15 months’ probation and ordered to pay $1000 restitution to Ian Donohoe.
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