Cleo Smith: Police patrols keep close watch over Terence Kelly’s Carnarvon home

Police have assigned a special task force to protect the house of Cleo Smith’s alleged kidnapper as fears grow it will be destroyed.

Police forensics search the house where Cleo Smith was found. Picture: Colin Murty

Police will keep up their watch over the house of Cleo Smith’s alleged kidnapper, with a team of officers on street patrol around the clock, seven days a week

Local officers dedicated to that task will monitor Terence Darrell Kelly’s Tonkin Crescent home, after the crime scene tape that had circled the property for nine days was finally torn down on Thursday.

Previously, the property had been under constant police guard and examined by forensics following the discovery of four-year-old Cleo, who was found locked inside a room inside the house on 3 November.

Photos of Terence Kelly on his Facebook Page where he is known as BratzDeLuca. Police are guarding his house for fear of attack. Picture: Supplied

A week-and-a-half later the house was boarded up by contractors, with the police patrols intended to prevent vandalism of the property.

Carnarvon Acting Officer in Charge Sen-Sgt Lindsay Collett told The West Australian that the station had a “dedicated” team whose purpose was to protect Kelly’s home from possible looters and vigilante attacks.

“Of course we do. We’ve got a number of vehicles patrolling Tonkin Crescent — dedicated officers designated to that area,” he said.

According to the report, a police team was seen driving in the area and pulling cars over for random breath tests on Friday night.

Another was spotted driving past the house several times on Saturday morning.

“They’re out there 24/7, patrolling,” Sen-Sgt Collett said.

Police forensics search the house where Cleo Smith was found. The property has since been boarded up and is now under guard. Picture: Colin Murty

People were seen gathered on the street the night before, but the group did not cause any trouble.

Upon the removal of the crime scene tape, some locals expressed concern that the duplex-style house might be broken into, damaged or targeted for attack - even potentially via firebombing.

One neighbour revealed he was moving out of the duplex because he was worried about such attacks.

“The house will be smashed,” he told 7NEWS. “A lot of people are disappointed and angry about what has happened, so there’s a greater chance that once the police are gone, we expect something will happen.

Terence Darrell Kelly being taken to maximum security prison. Picture: Colin Murty

It comes as Mr Kelly was flown to Perth under guard on Friday 5 November, and a team of heavily-armed officers transported him to maximum security Casuarina Prison.

He will be remanded at the jail, which houses some of the state’s worst offenders, until his next court appearance in December.

Cleo vanished from the tent she shared with her mother Ellie Smith, baby sister Isla and step-father Jake Gliddon at the Blowholes camp site in the early hours of the morning on 16 October.

Cleo Smith was found alive and locked in a room alone in Terence Kelly’s house. Picture: Supplied

Police launched Taskforce Rodia, a massive operation to find Cleo.

Eighteen days later, detectives were led to Mr Kelly’s house where Cleo was found alive locked inside a room, and she was able to identify herself to rescuers when she said “my name is Cleo.”

Originally published as Cleo Smith: Police patrols keep close watch over Terence Kelly’s Carnarvon home