Residents suffer skull fracture, brain injury in home invasion on Gold Coast

A violent home invasion on the Gold Coast that left one resident with a traumatic brain injury and another with a skull fracture was sparked over a property dispute, a court has heard. But one of the trio allegedly involved will walk free from court.

A COOMERA woman who tagged along to a savage home invasion which left one resident with a fractured skull and another with a brain injury wiped tears from her eyes as she learned she would not serve any time behind bars.

New Zealand migrant Soraya Lonie Roberts, 27, appeared shaken as she faced Southport District Court on Friday, alongside a group of supporters.

The hospitality worker had been charged with armed robbery, wilful damage and two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm.

Soraya Lonie Roberts, 27, of Coomera walks from Southport Courthouse on Friday, May 10, 2019.

But those allegations were dropped by Crown prosecutor Denise Darwen and Roberts pleaded guilty to burglary by break at night.

Ms Darwen told the court in the early hours of February 6, 2017, Roberts and two men – Shaun David Thompson and her then-partner Codi Alan Simpson – gained entry to a Mermaid Beach home.

She said one man living at the home had been woken in his room with a strike to the face by Thompson, before he and his partner were forced to hand over their phones.

Another man living at the home woke to screams and managed to take down Simpson in the lounge room, before Thompson joined the fray and the pair bashed the flatmate.

Roberts screamed for Simpson and Thompson to stop and one of the residents found a phone and called police, prompting the burglars to flee.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE BULLETIN: JUST $1 A WEEK FOR FIRST 12 WEEKS (min cost $4)

Judge Katherine McGinness said Roberts did not expect the residents, known to the trio, would be assaulted.

One of the men who was attacked suffered a “traumatic brain injury”, while another was left with a “skull fracture”, she said.

Ms Darwen said Roberts had no criminal history before the burglary, sparked by a property dispute, but was later sentenced for drug offences and breaching bail.

Defence barrister James McNab emphasised Roberts had not been violent during the burglary.

“Things exploded in front of her and she was beside herself,” he said.

Mr McNab said Roberts became “swept up in the relationship (with Simpson) and the incident” and was normally “caring and gentle”.

He handed up a stack of character references and spoke about Roberts’ rough childhood.

Mr McNab said Roberts has “nothing to do” with the co-accused anymore.

Judge McGinness said the burglary was “extremely serious”, but she described Roberts’ participation as “extremely limited”.

Roberts appeared to breathe a sigh of relief as she was sentenced to 18-months in prison, suspended immediately.

Simpson and Thompson face sentence on June 11.