Wyong: Jamie Joseph King, 47, sentenced over violent home invasion where wrong victims were bashed

A dreadlocked “surfie” has been sentenced after bashing two men over a $600 debt only to learn he had the wrong victims, one of whom recognised him in a dole queue a week later.

Jamie Joseph King, 47, of Mardi, arriving at Wyong Local Court where he pleaded guilty to a violent home invasion and assault over a $600 debt but the victims turned out to be a mistaken identity. Picture: NewsLocal

A man has been sentenced over what a judge has described as an “extremely traumatic” home invasion in which he bashed two men over a $600 debt only to discover he had the wrong people.

Jamie Joseph King, 47, of Mardi, faced Gosford District Court on Friday after he had previously pleaded guilty to aggravated breaking and entering to commit reckless wounding and reckless wounding in company.

An agreed set of facts states King and another man bashed on the door of a house on Byron St, Wyong, about 10.20pm on July 21 last year.

The two male occupants, aged 48 and 53, had just finished watching football on TV when the younger man answered the door.

As he opened the door, King’s accomplice “smashed” the man in the face.

King hugs a supporter before facing court during a previous appearance. Picture: NewsLocal

King walked in behind him and told the other resident: “You have nothing to do with this. Stay out of it.”

The facts state King punched the resident in the face two or three times as his co-offender continued to assault the younger victim while he was on the ground.

The victims were taken to Wyong Hospital where they were treated for black eyes, loose teeth, bruising and received stitches. (AAP Image/Sue Graham)

That victim could feel “holes in his skull” and that his “skull had been punctured”.

At one point as King assaulted the younger victim, that man “ripped” one of the dreadlocks from King’s head.

King and his co-offender then picked him up and threw him out the front door and down the stairs.

The facts state King and his accomplice only stopped assaulting the two men when they discovered the man they were actually looking for over a $600 debt had moved out a few weeks earlier.

“The two offenders looked at each other but didn’t say anything,” the facts state.

King and his co-offender then apologised to the two victims and walked out “casually” with another witness later describing King as a “surfie” with his dreadlocked hair.

One of the victims later recognised King standing in a dole queue at Wyong. (File photo: Getty Images)

“These facts clearly disclose very serious objective criminality,” Judge Tanya Bright said.

“This offending can properly be described as a home invasion. I have no doubt that it was extremely traumatic for both the victims, such behaviour can simply not be tolerated in a civilised society.”

The court heard one of the victims later saw King standing in an employment agency at Wyong and “recognised him instantly” by his hair.

Judge Bright sentenced King to an intensive correction order (ICO) for two years, eight months and 14 days, which took into account the three months and 16 days he spent in custody until his release on bail.

As part of the ICO King must perform 250 hours of community service work and abstain from drugs or alcohol.