Thug boilermaker Ben Woolhouse jailed for bashing man during terrifying Delahey home invasion

A Delahey man was clobbered with a metal pole and doused with capsicum spray after his home was raided by a thug tradie.

Thug boilermaker Ben Woolhouse was jailed for his part in a Delahey home invasion. iStock/generic.

A thug boilermaker who clobbered a man with a metal pole during a horrific Delahey home invasion has been jailed.

Ben Woolhouse, 32, was sentenced in the County Court to a minimum of two years’ and six months’ jail after pleading guilty to charges including home invasion and intentionally causing injury.

Woolhouse and three hoods raided their victim’s house during the planned attack on June 29 last year.

The victim, who heard people talking outside his house about 4.40am, discovered his electricity had been cut when he tried to turn a light on.

The victim opened his front door to see two men at the end of his driveway, the court heard.

A hood sprayed the house with a fire extinguisher while Woolhouse and another offender climbed the property’s side fence and broke a side window.

Woolhouse and his accomplice climbed into the house but were approached by the victim.

Woolhouse clobbered the victim over the head with a metal pole he’d found at the property, the court was told.

Woolhouse called on his brute mates to help after he was overpowered by the victim.

A second thug smashed an ashtray over the victim’s head and doused him with capsicum spray before the whole gang fled the home.

The court heard the man suffered lacerations to his forehead, and neighbours called police to the scene after hearing the commotion.

Judge Frances Dalziel said she accepted that Woolhouse had no connection with the victim, and had simply gone along with one of the other men’s suggestion to participate in the home invasion.

“You voluntarily took part in a planned home invasion of a man with whom you had no personal grievance,” Judge Dalziel said.

“You hit a man on the head with a pole after you had broken into his house with intent to assault him.”

The court heard the boilermaker had spent significant time undertaking drug rehabilitation since 2008 and had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.

Woolhouse, who had spent 205 days in custody, jailed for a maximum four years and three months.

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