Tara Egglestone pleads guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary after Facebook nude pic scandal
A vigilante mum enlisted a brutal bikie to run through her ex’s Hampton Park home after her nudes were leaked on Facebook.
South East
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A vigilante mother who schemed with a brutal bikie crew to enact a violent revenge plot after her nude pics were leaked on Facebook has avoided further jail time.
Tara Egglestone, 32, was sentenced in the County Court on Friday to time served – 295 days – after pleading guilty to charges including conspiracy to commit burglary.
Egglestone, now of Bendigo, plotted with late former Finks national president Brent ‘BJ’ Reker to storm her ex-boyfriend’s Hampton Park home.
The revenge plot materialised after a fake Facebook account purporting to be Egglestone was created.
The court heard semi-naked photos of Egglestone were posted to the bogus Facebook account.
Egglestone, a mother of two, suspected her ex-boyfriend was responsible for the online nude scandal, and feeling upset and humiliated enlisted Reker to run through the home.
Egglestone communicated with Reker via Facebook, SMS and phone and gave the now deceased bikie her ex-boyfriend’s name.
The court heard the communication was intercepted by police.
Reker’s first attempt to storm the home was thwarted after he spotted police near the property.
Egglestone and Reker continued communication in September 2018.
Reker and patched bikies Pierce Williams, Nathan Martinow and Corey Wanakore-Moeke smashed their way into the victim’s home, beating his face with a tyre lever as he lay in bed with his girlfriend on September 9, 2018.
During the onslaught, one of them yelled: “Let’s just blow his kneecaps out and kill the girl”.
The victim’s face was beaten so badly he had to go to hospital, the court was told.
His girlfriend was also punched in the face, the court heard.
The court heard Reker told the victim’s dad he was “lucky he was there” or we “would’ve killed your son”.
Reker called Egglestone during the ordeal and asked her what to do with a victim.
Reker also threatened he and his former bikie mates would return to “get what you owe us” and “we’ll take your bikes to”.
A bikie thug also threatened the victim not to go to the cops or they will “kill your missus and your kids”.
The victims later reported the ordeal to police.
Egglestone, who was told by Reker to “keep quiet”, was arrested at her former southeast home not long after police launched their investigation.
The court heard Egglestone grew up in poverty, struggled at school before she dropped out at age 14 and then hit the drugs hard.
The court heard Egglestone relocated herself and her children to Bendigo after she was granted bail.
Judge Fiona Todd said it was a “truly violent event” for the victims.
“You felt aggrieved by what you saw as the gross invasion of your privacy, while this could be understood in the circumstances it in no way justifies or excuses your behaviour,” Judge Todd said.
“This is vigilantism, it’s unacceptable to go about attempting to exact justice according to you and hence people who you think harmed you …
“You were the instigator or architect of both events, your moral culpability is high.
“Although you were not physically present at either event you are responsible for what took place there … a seriously nasty attack involving the use of a weapon.”
Egglestone, who also pleaded guilty to intentionally cause injury, was also handed a two-year community correction order.
Williams, 34, was sentenced in the County Court in September to a maximum five-year jail term with a three-year minimum after pleading guilty to aggravated burglary and conspiracy to commit burglary.
All charges against Reker were dropped after he was found dead in his cell at the Ravenhall Correctional Centre, with authorities saying he took his own life, in December 2019.
Martinow, from South Australia, was last year jailed for three years and eight months after pleading guilty to aggravated burglary and intentionally causing injury.
Police dropped the aggravated burglary charges against Wanakore-Moeke, and he instead pleaded guilty to four counts of possessing a drug of dependence and was convicted and issued a $750 fine.
