Three Gold Coast men plead guilty to violent 2015 Helensvale home invasion

A TRIO of men have pleaded guilty to a violent home invasion at a Helensvale property in 2015 in which they “completely slashed” through the tendons of a man’s arms.

Home Invasion at Greenwood Court Helensvale. Detectives at the home. Pic by Richard Gosling

A TRIO of men have pleaded guilty to a violent home invasion at a Helensvale property in 2015.

Nathan Briggs, Shane Kevin Lemmar and Ben John Rowe this morning pleaded guilty in the Southport District Court to storming the home of Lemmar’s former housemate Scott Vidler in the middle of the night in September two years ago in an attempt to rob him.

The court heard Vidler was kicked and punched in the violent robbery before his right wrist was “completely slashed” through his tendons.

The house where the incident occurred. Pic by Richard Gosling

His hands were then bound with electrical tape and he was left in the middle of his kitchen after the men could not find the valuable items they were looking for.

All three men were charged with grievous bodily harm, armed robbery, deprivation of liberty and robbery with actual violence, while armed, in company.

Police near the scene of the home invasion in 2015. Pic by Richard Gosling

The court heard Lemmar, who was described as the “mastermind” had previously lived with Vidler and claimed he knew where he kept his prized possessions.

Rowe and Briggs were responsible for the attack, the court was told.

When the masked group arrived at the property they found Vidler in the kitchen and the court heard Briggs said: “You’re dead (expletive)” before commencing the attack.

2015: Police in a nearby street looking over a car believed to be involved in the crime. Pic by Richard Gosling

Judge David Kent QC said it was troubling the men had “not been deterred by the fact there were CCTV cameras” at the property where they committed the bashing.

The court heard Vidler suffered a broken wrist, lacerations, head injuries and required surgery on his hand to allow him to use it again after the home invasion.

Briggs also pleaded guilty to a bizarre “drug fuelled rage incident” where he side swiped a truck on the M1 before getting out of the car and bashing the driver through the drivers-side window while wielding a knife.

The court heard he then smashed a water cooler in the Southport Watchhouse after being arrested for the incident that occurred several months before the home invasion.

Shane Lemmar, 46, has been sentenced to a head sentence of five years’ jail for a violent robbery and home invasion.

The sentence was suspended after Judge Kent declared 332 days Lemmar had spent on remand as time already served.

For the charge of deprivation of liberty, he was sentenced to two years’ jail but will be released on parole today.

Ben Rowe, 36, who the court heard drove to the home and played an active role in the assault, was jailed for five years for the offence.

He will be eligible for parole in February 2018.