Charles Dumas convicted of affray, damage property

A man who was once banned from entering Coffs Harbour has faced court after people inside a Toormina home were “terrified” during an early morning siege.

A man who was once banned from entering Coffs Harbour has faced court after people inside a Toormina home were “terrified” during an early morning siege.

Father-of-nine Charles Dumas, 30, was convicted of affray and destroy/damage property in company when he appeared for sentence in the Coffs Harbour Local Court on Friday.

The court heard that Dumas and two co-accused were involved in an unprovoked raid at a Toormina home on October 29, 2020.

Magistrate Ian Rodgers said at least two people entered the home where the victims were seriously assaulted.

Police said it was found that Dumas had not entered the home, but had damaged a glass sliding door and a rear window.

Mr Rodgers said verbal threats and taunting had been made, and the lights in the home had been turned off during the attack.

He said the victims had been “completely terrified”.

Dumas, who works in the solar panel industry, had subsequently been on bail with extreme conditions for a lengthy period of time.

Mr Rodgers said one of the conditions was that Dumas was not allowed to return to Coffs Harbour.

Lawyer Nicola Breward said this “onerous” condition meant Dumas had missed a number of family celebrations like birthdays.

She told the court Dumas’s father had died when her client was young, and his mother had been murdered at Nambucca Heads when he was aged 15.

Ms Breward said Dumas had turned to alcohol as a coping mechanism.

Dumas was convicted for affray and destroy/damage property in company and sentenced to a 20-month intensive correction order.

He was also ordered to perform 100 hours of community service.