Siena Densem, William Nichols, Zachery Purdue and Noah Edwards plead guilty to role in aggravated burglary

A group of young friends who posed as a 15-year-old boy looking for sex have pleaded guilty to brutally bashing a former teacher who worked at an illustrious school.

David Beeby (left) was attacked by a group of young Central Coast friends. Siena Densem (bottom right) and Zachery Purdue (top right) were involved in the aggravated burglary.

A group of young friends who posed as a 15-year-old boy looking for sex have pleaded guilty to brutally bashing a former teacher who worked at an illustrious school.

Siena Densem, 21, William Nichols, 21, Zachery Purdue, 20 and Noah Edwards, 20, pleaded guilty in Gosford Local Court to a number of charges including aggravated robbery and inflicting actual bodily harm.

The court heard that on January 24, last year at approximately 10.30pm, the victim, David Beeby was using Grindr and communicating with a person named “Jeremy”.

According to court documents, it’s allegedNichols was the person behind the account, however that will be the subject of a disputed facts hearing.

During a back and forth text message exchange, court documents state Nichols allegedly wrote “is 15 too young lol, I’ve done it before”.

Zachery Purdue, 20, of Bateau Bay, leaving Gosford Local Court where he is facing charges of aggravated breaking and entering and robbery of former Central Coast Grammar teacher David Beeby. Picture: NewsLocal

Beeby responded by asking for a picture of Nichol’s penis and then sent a map to his premises, court documents state.

He then provided a gate code and told him to come through his pedestrian gate.

Siena Densem, 20, of Erina, leaving Gosford Local Court where she is facing charges of aggravated breaking and entering and robbery of former Central Coast Grammar teacher David Beeby. Picture: NewsLocal

Just after midnight on January 25, Beeby walked out of his unit and opened the security gate, allowing Nichols to enter the unit complex, while Densem and Edwards remained outside.

When Beeby opened the gate, Nichols said “I’m only 15” and allegedly immediatelypunched Beeby in the face.

Beeby fell backwards and was dazed and confused and was thenallegedly kicked by Nichols and Purdue numerous times while they called him a ‘pedophile’, the documents state.

Edwards, followed by Densem then entered the premises and also called Beeby a “pedophile”.

Former Central Coast Grammar junior school teacher David Beeby. Picture: NewsLocal

It is alleged Purdue and Nichols then picked up Beeby and punched him in the head repeatedly before Nichols said “we are going to rob you, where is your wallet”.

Nichols then said that if Beeby called the cops he would hurt his family as he knows where he lives.

Purdue and Nichols then ushered Beeby to the kitchen area and pointed knives towards him.

Court documents allege Purdue then placed a knife to Beeby’s throat and said just do what we say. These facts will also be disputed.

The group then forced Beeby to transfer funds in the sum of $697.

While the funds were being transferred, the group stole a number of items from Beeby’s premises, including a poster of Britney Spears and a pink cassette tape.

Zachery Purdue, 20, of Bateau Bay, leaving Gosford Local Court where he is facing charges of aggravated breaking and entering and robbery of former Central Coast Grammar teacher David Beeby. Picture: NewsLocal

They then took a number of bottles of alcohol from the bar area before leaving the premises at about 12.40am.

When the group left the premises, Beeby locked himself in his bedroom and then reported the incident to police.

The victim underwent a thoracentesis procedure namely draining fluid from his lung and also had three rib fractures, a bruised lung and soft tissue injuries to his face and abdomen.

Beeby was found not guilty by a magistrate of procuring a child for sex during a court hearing in February this year.

The group will face the Gosford District Court at a later date for sentence.

At the time Magistrate Rosheehan O’Meagher agreed and said while the evidence was compelling and “central” to the prosecution case, it was obtained by people with illegal, nefarious motives.

She said it went “beyond pedophile hunting” and was part of a sinister “trap” to lure Mr Beeby into telling unknown persons where he was living so they could violently rob him and then blackmail him into not reporting the home invasion to police.

The group will appear in the Gosford District Court again on June 3.

Originally published as Siena Densem, William Nichols, Zachery Purdue and Noah Edwards plead guilty to role in aggravated burglary