Ryan Keegan: Illawarra tradie admits to violent Boxing Day home invasion

An Illawarra roofer has pleaded guilty to his role in a frightening festive period home invasion which left two men with serious injuries.

A young Illawarra roofer involved in a violent Boxing Day break and enter which left one man with cuts all over his body and another with a broken nose has fronted court.

Ryan Keegan appeared in Wollongong Local Court via video link where he pleaded guilty to aggravated break, enter and commit serious indictable offence (reckless wounding) and assault occasioning actual bodily harm in company.

A masked-up Keegan, 22, snuck into a house on Grandview Pd, Lake Heights, at around 8pm on Boxing Day last year along with co-accused Deng Lual, 21, who was wearing a balaclava.

The male occupant of the house was on his computer when he realised the two men were standing over a female friend who was woken while sleeping on the lounge.

The man yelled “What are you doing here?” with Lual demanding ”We want the car keys, where are the car keys?”.

Court documents said the wannabe robbers approached the man, throwing punches the struck his chest, head and face before cries for help were answered by a brave neighbour who tried to assist, and in doing so was assaulted himself.

The offending pair fled after the skirmish, but were rounded up by the police in Berkeley some 25 minutes after the initial home invasion with the two conveyed to Lake Illawarra Command.

Illawarra tradie Ryan Keegan pleaded guilty to two charges on Wednesday. Picture: Facebook

The initial victim sustained cuts and marks on his head, face, torso and legs and required an operation at the Sydney Hand and Eye Hospital three days later to repair a deep wound in his left hand.

The neighbour suffered a broken nose and a swollen knee.

Keegan will front the Wollongong District Court on Friday, October 7 where a date for his sentencing will be set.

Lual, who is facing charges of aggravated break and enter to commit a serious indictable offence, assault occasioning actual bodily harm in the company of other(s) and reckless wounding, has pleaded not guilty with the matter likely to proceed to a trial after it‘s mentioned in Wollongong District Court on Tuesday, September 13.