Luka Warner allegedly knife to woman’s throat during break-in at Sutton Forest home

A young man allegedly broke into the Sutton Forest home of a woman through her bedroom window before he held a knife to her throat in a “terrifying” incident, a court has heard.

Luka Warner has been granted bail in Wollongong Local Court after he allegedly broke into a woman’s home and held a knife to her throat. Picture: Steven Bell

A young truck driver allegedly broke into a woman’s Sutton Forest bedroom and held a knife to her throat, a court has heard.

Luka Vance Warner, 23, applied for bail at Wollongong Local Court on Friday after he was charged with aggravated break and enter and committing a serious indictable offence while armed in the early hours of December 29.

Police allege Warner was “clearly fixated” on the woman and he “alarmingly” broke into through her bedroom window at her Sutton Forest home, the court heard.

Police further allege Warner held a knife to her throat, which she later told police was similar to a fishing knife because it had smooth and serrated sided when she touched it.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Amelia Wall told the court the woman “must have been terrified”.

The exact nature of the pair’s connection was not revealed in court but it is understood they were in or previously in a domestic relationship.

Defence lawyer Rodney Boyd conceded the allegations were serious and accepted, if convicted, his client would receive a custodial sentence however he submitted that could be served in the community by way of an intensive correction order.

The court heard Warner disputed he allegedly used a knife rather telling police it was a screwdriver.

Mr Boyd said Warner was a young man, had no criminal history, had never been charged and never been in custody.

He said his client therefore had no history of breaching bail nor conditions in apprehended violence orders (AVO).

Mr Boyd said “very tight bail conditions” would mitigate the risk to the woman, who was now named as a protected person under an AVO.

He submitted Warner could stay with his mother at her Mittagong home under a curfew, report to police, not contact the woman and comply with the AVO conditions.

Mr Boyd also tendered a letter from Warner’s mother which said she spoke to her son while he was at work driving a truck on December 28.

The court heard she was so concerned about his health that she told him to go straight to the emergency department, adding he had not been feeling well in the days leading up to Wednesday.

A medical letter was also submitted to the court showing Warner attended hospital that day only hours before he allegedly broke into the woman’s home.

Registrar Tina McKenna said the allegations were “extremely serious” but noted Warner was previously a man of prior good character and he may therefore not receive a full-time custodial sentence if convicted.

She said from the material before her, the allegations “appeared extremely out of character” for Warner and she only granted bail for such serious charges because of his nil criminal history.

Warner must live at Mittagong with his mother, report to Moss Vale police station, and not approach the woman’s home nor contact her in any way, as well as comply with the conditions of the AVO.

The case was adjourned to Moss Vale Local Court on January 9.