Delay in case of Matthew Bilotta, Lara Buttriss and Grace Buttriss charged over break-in and hammer attack

Two young sisters and one of their ex-partners allegedly broke into a home and attacked the two residents with a hammer. Read what happened in court.

A magistrate has called delays “fundamentally unfair” in the case of two young sisters and one of their ex-partners who allegedly broke into a home and attacked the two residents with a hammer.

Lara Buttriss, 23, from Oran Park, Grace Therese Buttriss, 18, from Harrington Park, and Matthew John Bilotta, 25, from Hill Top faced Picton Court on Friday after being charged with a violent break-in.

All three accused have been charged with aggravated break and enter to commit a serious indictable offence in company and two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm in the company of others.

Police allege the young trio broke into a home on Onslow Ave in Camden at around 6.30pm on February 5 and assaulted the two residents.

It was previously heard in court that Lara allegedly entered the home and wielded a hammer to attack the two male occupants of the house and cause them actual bodily harm.

In court on Friday, Michael Lantis, representing the Director of Public Prosecutions, said the charge certification was still not ready.

Sisters Lara Buttriss (a white blonde with scarf covering her hair) and Grace Buttriss (brunette) near Picton court with their lawyer. Picture: Adelaide Lang

A lawyer speaking on behalf of Mr Bilotta said it’s the fourth time it had been listed and the matter still was not ready.

Magistrate Mark Douglass said it was “the sad reality” and the court did not have a lot of powers in relation to this issue.

“I do note this. There is someone in custody because of these matters,” he said.

“We just can’t keep delaying matters where someone is in custody. It’s fundamentally unfair.”

Police also allege they have obtained a recording from an intercepted phone call of Mr Bilotta talking about trying to find a “standover man” to threaten and intimidate the witnesses and force them to withdraw their evidence.

According to police allegations, Grace was allegedly party to the phone conversation but there is no suggestion she agreed with his proposal.

Court documents show Lara and Grace Buttriss are sisters and Mr Bilotta is Lara’s former partner.

Lara Buttriss and Grace Buttriss are accused of breaking into a Camden home and attacking the residents with a hammer. Picture: Adelaide Lang

It was also previously heard that the charges laid aren’t compatible with the sequence of events alleged by police as all three have been charged with the use of a hammer, despite the police allegation that Lara was the person in possession of the hammer.

Court documents show Lara is a single mother and Grace is a disability worker who lives with her elder sister. Neither sister has a criminal record, according to the documents.

While, court documents state that Mr Bilotta had only been released from prison for violent offences the month before he was allegedly involved in this incident. He was refused bail in February and has remained in custody on remand since his arrest.

Both the sisters remain on bail. The matter returns to Picton Local Court on August 19.