Sunshine Coast man James Alexander Hanlon pleads guilty to breaking into northern NSW property

An offender from Queensland involved in the break in of a rural northern NSW property while armed with an axe has admitted to the frightening offending.

James Hanlon faced Tweed Heads Local Court earlier this month.

A Queenslander has admitted to a cross-border raid in rural northern NSW where he broke into a property while armed with an axe.

James Alexander Hanlon, 35, faced Tweed Heads Local Court on Friday via videolink where he pleaded guilty to a string of charges.

The charges include aggravated assault causing actual bodily harm with the intent of stealing a vehicle, being armed with the intent to commit an indictable offence and aggravated break and enter in company.

Documents tendered in court state Hanlon, of Currimundi on the Sunshine Coast, committed the offences over a nearly three-hour period nearly two years ago.

The break in was at an address in the northern NSW locality of Doon Doon. Picture: Google Maps

The documents state Hanlon broke into an address with another person on Doon Doon Rd, at Doon Doon – a locality about 60km south of Tweed Heads – at some point between 9.20am and midday on October 23, 2022.

The documents state he was armed with an axe. During this period he assaulted a woman while about 10.40am he inflicted actual bodily harm on a man while attempting to steal a vehicle.

Hanlon also admitted to assaulting a police officer during the same incident.

Magistrate Geoffrey Dunlevy accepted Hanlon’s guilty pleas and committed the matter for sentence at Lismore District Court where he will appear in September.