Gladstone woman awoken by midnight intruder

A “loud bang” woke a Central Queensland woman in the middle of the night and then she saw a man in her bedroom.

A Gladstone woman woke in the middle of the night to find a man in her bedroom. Generic image.

A Central Queensland woman woke to “a loud bang” in the middle of the night and then saw a man in her bedroom, a court has heard.

Joshua Allen Henderson, 27, appeared in custody in Gladstone Magistrates Court on November 29 where he pleaded guilty to two counts of contravening a domestic violence order (aggravated offences) and wilful damage (domestic violence offence).

The court heard Henderson’s offending happened on two separate days in November, and under the DV order, he was not allowed to approach within 100m of the woman’s residence or workplace.

Police prosecutor Jennifer Leach said on November 9, Henderson attended the woman’s Gladstone residence and started begging her to take him back.

The woman told Henderson to leave, saying she needed to sort things out when her head was clearer.

Then about midnight on November 14, Henderson went to the woman’s home and she was woken by “a loud bang”, the court heard.

It was told that after Henderson got into the residence, he entered the woman’s bedroom.

A Gladstone court heard that a woman woke in the middle of the night to find a man in her bedroom. Generic image.

Henderson then asked her: “Why don’t you want to be with me?” and said: “Look what you’ve done to my life.”

Ms Leach said the woman yelled at Henderson and he left her bedroom and “kicked all the doors in” as he walked down the hallway, causing damage.

The prosecutor said Henderson also kicked the locked front screen door, causing it to bend.

He also damaged a side door by kicking it, and he left before police arrived.

The court heard that Henderson had a six-page criminal history, which included previous domestic violence offending.

The prosecution did not seek restitution.

Solicitor Cam Schroder said when Henderson was released from custody he intended to leave Gladstone and reside elsewhere “for a fresh start”.

Mr Schroder said a lot of Henderson’s offending was a result of him not taking the correct medication.

Magistrate Mary Buchanan sentenced Henderson to six months’ jail, declared 15 days’ pre-sentence custody as time already served, and fixed parole eligibility at January 14, 2024.

Convictions were recorded.

Originally published as Gladstone woman awoken by midnight intruder