Crime wave terrorising northern NSW town of Moree leaves locals ‘living in fear’ of violence

Moree locals are not shy in admitting they are fearful when they go to sleep at night. A spree of violent attacks late last year is what led them to this point.

Moree locals are not shy in admitting they are fearful when they go to sleep at night.

A spree of violent attacks late last year, combined with chilling video of a woman shrieking in horror as a gang of youths break down the door to her motel room and steal her car keys, is what led them to this point.

Since then some longtime residents have left town, while those who have stayed have put up CCTV cameras or even gone as far as to install safe rooms in their house – just in case they become the next target of the youth crime crisis in northern NSW.

Sascha Estens has lived in Moree for the best part of four decades and says the one thing that has changed in recent times, that led the town to ask Premier Chris Minns for help, was the level of violence.

“The thing that we’re experiencing as locals for the first time is the violent nature of crimes,” Ms Estens said.

“I’ve lived in Moree for a long time, the best part of 43 years, and I’ve always felt that it is a really safe place – I’ve loved living here, I’ve defended it fiercely for a long time, but now the crimes have become violent.

“There’s a lot of people in town who are putting in cameras and who are in a way, living in fear. People are going to bed at night, worried.

“You hear of people, there’s not many cases of this… but there’s local people in their house who have got a safe room with a lock on it.”

Moree local Sascha Estens told The Daily Telegraph the town is experience a wave a crimes of a “violent nature”.

Ms Estens’ friend and local cafe owner Shane Brooker, 63, was subject to one such horrific assault when young intruders broke into his home last year.

“One night last September my wife woke me up and said there was an enormous bang outside,” Mr Brooker said.

“I went out and looked at my front door, and there’s these kids smashing my front window and my front door – we’ve got a big heavy glass door, and they just caved it in.

“The kids are teenagers, so I’ve yelled at them and then they put their hands through and burst through the door.

“So I’ve gone at them and the next thing I remember, I’ve come to and I’m lying on the ground in a pool of my own blood.”

Moree cafe owner Shane Brooker.

Moree local Shane Brooker was the victim of a horrific break and enter attack by teenagers last September.

After attacking Mr Brooker the youths confronted his wife and demanded the keys to her car, before pushing her up against a wall, with a neighbour thankfully running to their aid to snatch her handbag and keys back as the youths ran away.

Premier Minns last week announced new youth bail laws for NSW, aimed at addressing the youth crime crisis that is sweeping so many country towns across the state.

The new laws include “posting and boasting” legislation which will see out of control youths who post videos of home invasions and car thefts to social media face an extra two years in jail.

Magistrates will also now be required to have a “high degree of confidence” a young person will not commit a further serious indictable offence, before releasing them.

The state government also announced an investment of $13.4 million specifically for Moree and services like the PCYC, which Ms Estens said

“[Premier] Chris Minns came up a few weeks ago and in two weeks we’ve got a result, which is just unheard of I would think,” she said.

“Everyone is happy with the result because for so long people were wondering: ‘Why is nothing being done?’ ‘Why is nobody doing anything?’.

“I think the problem is obviously generational and with these kids who are repeat offenders, they are repeat offenders because there is no punishment, so the change to these bail laws will hopefully put an end to that.

“I think right now the town is really happy with the outcome that we’ve had, it means people are listening and we’ve been crying out for help, as have a lot of other towns.”

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