Illawarra man Mathew Allen avoids jail for unprovoked neighbour attack

A court heard an Illawarra man frocked in a ghillie suit was yelling “gibberish” before storming into his neighbour’s house and bashing him in a shocking, unprovoked assault.

Mathew Allen leaving Wollongong Courthouse after he was sentenced on Monday. Picture: Dylan Arvela

A man has avoided being sent behind bars for a horrifying attack on his neighbour, which left the victim feeling “scared, embarrassed and suffering in silence”.

Mathew Lawrence Allen, 43, appeared in Wollongong District Court to be sentenced after previously pleading guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and aggravated break and enter, with the charges stemming back to January 17, last year.

The court heard the violent attack, spurred on by a combination of alcohol and an “epileptic condition”, was preceded by Allen yelling ”abuse” and ”gibberish” outside the male victim’s home in Unanderra.

The yelling stopped for a short period before Allen, decked out in a camouflage ghillie suit, knocked on the victim‘s door.

“I‘m a woman basher, am I?” Allen questioned through the screen door.

Mathew Allen (not pictured) was wearing a camouflage ghillie suit during the attack.

“Want to step outside and prove something? You think you‘re a big man talking behind my back.”

The court heard that Allen opened the screen door and started throwing “multiple punches”, putting his knee on the victim’s right leg and causing him to bleed from his eyebrow.

Allen told the injured man he would kill him if he contacted the police, however, he did call triple-0 as soon as the offender left.

Police arrived soon after and arrested Allen, who was taken to Lake Illawarra Command.

Wollongong District Court heard on Monday that Allen has “no recollection” of his offending, with Judge Andrew Haesler stating ”underlying health conditions played a significant role” in his offending.

The court heard Mathew Allen had “no recollection” of the incident. Picture: Dylan Arvela

The court heard Allen and the victim had been neighbours for five years and there was “no history of animosity” between them.

Judge Haesler read excerpts of the victim impact statement in which the man said he was “suffering in silence” after he ”felt he was going to die that night”.

The victim said he felt “unsafe in his own home”, an ”unease when there was a knock on the door” and had ”trouble sleeping”.

Allen, who now resides in Koonawarra, was sentenced to an intensive correction order of two years and six months.

“To invade another person’s home, knowing they are at home and assaulting the resident is an offence of some seriousness,” Judge Haesler said when handing down his judgment.

“I shouldn’t have to spell it out more than that. A member of the community is entitled to feel safe in their home.

“Thankfully, the physical injuries were transient, but I will not underestimate the psychological harm inflicted.”

The ICO will expire in May, 2026, with Allen ordered to continue his psychological treatment, engage in alcohol rehabilitation programs and consent to random alcohol testing.

An apprehended violence order between Allen and the victim was continued.