Truganina homeowner fights off two intruders with bass guitar
A Truganina man has told of the moment he used a prized bass guitar — a 21st birthday present from his dad — to chase two men out of his house after they held a knife to his partner’s throat during an early-morning raid.
Wyndham Leader
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A Truganina homeowner has fought off a pair of intruders overnight armed with a bass guitar.
Two men smashed their way into the Gilbee Rd home with a mallet and threatened the 37-year-old man and his partner with a knife just before 2am today.
Police said the two thugs demanded the keys to a Mercedes parked in the driveway but the man, Mike Conomy, managed to fight off the attackers.
He picked up a bass guitar and chased the pair from his house down the road, where they jumped into a waiting car empty-handed.
Mr Conomy told Leader the intruders backed him and his partner into a corner and started “gesturing” with a knife at her throat.
He said they had only moved into the house a week ago.
“I go to my office to grab the keys and I can’t find the bloody keys can I?,” he said.
“So I look around the office, it’s me versus them, they’ve got a knife … let’s put the knife against the guitar so I picked up the cheapest guitar I had, went wheeling out after them … and ran them out of the house and smashed their window in the process.
“The bass guitar happened to be the cheapest and heaviest one, worth about $300, the other ones are worth thousands of dollars.
“If you pick it up and hold it upside down it’s kind of like an axe. As soon as I came after them they just ran out the door.”
Mr Conomy said he then had to hold his front door closed to stop the driver of the car who ran after him and threatened to get him with a machete.
He said the police arrived a few minutes later just after the intruders drove off.
“When I was younger in my early 20s I had been stabbed before so at the end of the day if I get stabbed by a pocket knife I’ll survive, I’d rather I take it than Annabelle has to take it,” he said.
“What’s the best line of defence I’ve got, we’ll something that’s bludgeoning and that’s a guitar and that’s all I could do at that moment in time.
“The most important thing is we’re safe, a door can be replaced but a person can’t.”
Mike was a classic!
— 3AW Breakfast (@RossAndJohn) May 18, 2020
If you missed it, we highly recommend listening back to this interview 👇https://t.co/U7vi6bk8ie https://t.co/ZfWiEptpON
Mr Conomy said the guitar, a Cort bass and a 21st birthday present from his dad, had some nicks and scratches but still worked.
Sergeant Julie-Anne Newman said a man and woman were believed to be waiting in the getaway car.
“As the dark-coloured car drove away the victim smashed the rear passenger side window with his guitar,” Sgt Newman said.
Mr Conomy and his partner Annabelle, 28, were shaken but not physically harmed during the ordeal.
Mr Conomy, a musician, said he had about five guitars, and told police he fought them off with his cheapest and heaviest one.
Senior Sergeant Samantha Ryan from Werribee police said it was “very unusual” for a victim to fight back in the way Mike Conomy did.
“Incidents like this are few and far between, most people would just hand over the car keys,” Sen Sgt Ryan said.
“I admire him for his bravery, tenacity and quick thinking.”
Sen Sgt Ryan said while it was OK for Victorians to defend themselves from armed burglars, personal safety was of the utmost importance.
Detectives have appealed for anyone who witnessed a dark-coloured hatchback in the area to contact police.
The offenders were described as Middle Eastern in appearance and were wearing hooded jumpers and had their faces covered.
One was between 182-189cm, the other about 180cm.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
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