Katherine crime: ‘Traumatised’ teacher in leadership role to quit town after armed home invasion

“I can’t go back ... this scene is haunting me”: A senior teacher is expected to resign from his post after two youth offenders broke into his home and placed knives to his and his friends’ throats.

A senior teacher is expected to resign his post after two youth offenders broke into his Katherine home and placed knives to his and his friends’ throats at the start of the Easter long weekend.

NT Police previously revealed that two armed youth offenders broke into a Katherine residence on the night of March 28–29, making off with a white Toyota Corolla that was used in a ram raid on R&M Motorcycles on Giles St, among other offending.

A 15-year-old boy was arrested, while police were still looking for the second offender when Assistant Commissioner Travis Wurst spoke about social unrest in the Big Rivers township on Tuesday afternoon.

Ram raid at R&M Motorcycles, Giles St, Katherine, on the evening of March 28-29, 2024, performed using a vehicle stolen from a senior teacher, who will now quit town. Picture: R&M Motorcycles

The NT News has obtained a statement from the victim of the initial home invasion who can be revealed as a senior teacher who held a leadership at a Katherine school.

“I have been traumatised by the incident. I was shaken to the core,” the teacher said.

“I left Katherine on Easer Friday and am currently staying at friend’s place in Darwin.

“I will be accessing... therapy to overcome the deep trauma that has affected me.”

The teacher said he would not be returning to the town he called home.

“I can’t go back to Katherine. This scene is haunting me,” he said.

“I only had third party insurance and cannot repair my car. I can’t go back to work because of the trauma, and have no car.”

The teacher revealed he had friends over when two youths broke into his residence at about 1am Friday morning.

“The offenders put knives on our throats – me and my friends who came to visit me – and threatened to stab us, and stole our vehicles,” he said.

NT Police Assistant Commissioner Travis Wurst speaking about youth crime in Darwin's northern suburbs and in Katherine, April 2, 2024. Picture: Alex Treacy

“The offenders abandoned one vehicle at the location and further threatened us before fleeing in the remaining vehicle, which happened to be mine.

“Police attended the site more than one hour later, after calling three times. The offenders came back with a motor bike and my car to tease the police and honked at them.

“I asked the police... to chase them and recover the car.

“Police replied that since the youths are driving the car, they cannot do the high-speed chase as it puts their life at risk if they smash the car somewhere.”

A spokeswoman for the teacher’s employer said they don’t expect the teacher to return “in the short term, but they are more than welcome to return should they want to”.

Katherine MLA and CLP education spokeswoman Jo Hersey. Picture: Sierra Haigh

The teacher had been offered counselling through the employer’s provider, she added.

Country Liberal Party MLA Jo Hersey, who represents the division of Katherine, said she was contacted by fearful constituents “almost daily” after they had fallen victim to violence.

“[This teacher is] so traumatised and terrified that he’s fearful to even come back to Katherine to collect his belongings,” she said.

“He’s told the principal he’s not returning, which is a shame because he is in a leadership position.”

She said the return of seven Police Auxiliary Liquor Inspectors to Katherine less than a month after they were pulled to train as constables – training that was then interrupted due to the unrest in Alice Springs – showed the Labor government was making “policy on the run”.

In a statement, Chief Minister Eva Lawler said she was “fed up with the level of crime on our streets – particularly youth crime”.

“That’s why, today [Wednesday], I announced 200 extra police will be added to our front line over the next four years,” she said.

Seven PALIs pulled from Alice in response to Katherine woes

April 2: Seven police auxiliary liquor inspectors have been deployed to Katherine in response to recent unrest that has seen an asthmatic service station worker sprayed with a fire extinguisher and a young armed duo allegedly run amok.

Speaking on Tuesday, Acting Commissioner Travis Wurst said the seven PALIs had been diverted from Alice Springs to support the Katherine community in the wake of the incidents.

Commissioner Wurst said on the evening of Thursday and into Good Friday, there were a “number of criminal events that occurred in Katherine”.

“There was an unlawful entry where two offenders produced a weapon, a knife, and as a consequence stole a white Toyota Corolla from that address,” he said.

He said the vehicle was later used in an unlawful entry at another Katherine business.

That business is understood to be R&M Motorcycles at Giles St.

Commissioner Wurst said the Giles St business was subsequently hit again in the night, with a motorcycle stolen.

He said the Katherine hotel was also unlawfully entered and trespassed upon.

“The northern investigations team, along with Strike Force Cerberus, and the Katherine general duties staff, commenced an investigation that identified two male youths who were involved in that activity,” Commissioner Wurst said.

“One of those has subsequently been taken into custody and is currently on remand and is due to face court today [Tuesday].”

“The other person is still outstanding and police are actively looking for that particular person in the Katherine community as we speak.”

The arrested boy is aged 15.

R&M co-owner Samantha Hohn took to social media after the business was raided.

“Police have been amazing but had their hands very full all night,” she said.

The moment a fire extinguisher was fired into a service station worker's space at a Katherine BP station.

Thursday night’s alleged spree occurred less than a week after a group of female youths entered BP Katherine in the early hours of the morning and blasted the asthmatic female worker – a grandmother – with a fire extinguisher before making off the with till.

Commissioner Wurst said one female youth was charged, three were issued with court diversion, and investigations into the other four youths was continuing.

He said that he expected the redeployed PALIs to calm the horses in the Big Rivers township.

They would be in place from Tuesday.