COURT: The woman behind terrifying Gympie home invasion

Two small children had to watch as their father was held at knife point in the violent, drug-linked home invasion

HOME INVASION JAIL: Renee Frances Male is led from Gympie District Court after being sentenced yesterday. Picture: Arthur Gorrie

A GYMPIE woman's seven-month ice-fuelled frenzy started with minor drug offences and fuel-stealing, climaxed with the violent armed robbery of a family in their home and ended with a jail sentence in Gympie District Court yesterday.

Renee Frances Male, 24, pleaded guilty to the drug-linked knife-point robbery of a family home in February, after a series of 18 drug, theft and driving offences.

Judge Glen Cash sentenced her to three-and-a-half years jail, with 258 days already served on remand and parole eligibility from February 2020.

The court was told Male and a 14-year-old associate forced their way into the home of a young couple with children, upsetting the children, holding the man at knife-point and demanding $50. The man said he had no money and gave them a jar of change.

The court was told Male began drinking and smoking cannabis at 13 and "worked up to ice" and her first stint in jail in 2013.

Real trouble began on July 11 last year, when she was caught unlawfully possessing a controlled anti-epileptic drug, a syringe and 2g of marijuana.

She stole petrol from service stations on October 31, November 14 last year and January 27 this year, when she was also found driving unlicensed in an unregistered car. On February 4, police saw her driving erratically and speeding, also in an uregistered car.

She drove off from police, earning her a two-year licence disqualification. Two days later she was caught driving unlicensed again.

Judge Cash said her good behaviour in jail so far would help with her parole application.

Originally published as COURT: The woman behind terrifying Gympie home invasion