Ebony Kaye Sayers charged over Andergrove firearms burglary

Police allege an estranged sister was the mastermind behind a brazen burglary where a family home was robbed and guns stolen these Christmas holidays. But her lawyer says there’s one key problem.

Ebony Kaye Sayers has been charged over Andergrove firearms burglary on December 22, 2024.

The estranged sister of a woman whose home was robbed and a safe and firearms stolen prior to Christmas has been refused bail after a series of text messages and her rap sheet were revealed in court.

Ebony Kaye Sayers, 27, has been charged with one count each of enter dwelling and commit indictable offence, driving without a licence and fail to appear in court.

She made a bail application on December 30 in Rockhampton Magistrates Court which heard the enter dwelling charge was laid in relation burglary at Andergrove, in the Mackay region on December 22, for which Trent William Skillington was sentenced on Christmas Eve.

Police prosecutor Matt Saunders told the court on that day the safe and its contents- three firearms – were stolen from an Andergrove Rd residence sometime between midnight and 7.20am after offenders gained entry to the lower level of the dwelling by removing the flyscreen of a window and opening it.

“(The offenders) have used a skateboard inside the address to steal a safe and its contents” Mr Saunders said.

He said the safe contained a .233 bolt-action rifle (serial number EN4086), a Remington 700 .308 bolt-action rifle (serial number RR38651F) and a Yildiz 12-gauge under over shotgun (serial number 79-h31uu-001522).

The court heard on both days that fingerprints were located at the scene identifying both Skillington and Ms Sayers.

Defence lawyer Virginia Ukpabi said her client told police that she had previously attended her sister’s address to get drinks and entered the property through the same entry point that police alleged her fingerprints were found.

Mr Saunders told the court Ms Sayers, and her sister were estranged.

The court heard police alleged a series of text messages demonstrated Ms Sayers knew about the burglary.

Acting Magistrate Stephen Byrne said the messages included “on the run”, “need coin” and “want to make something happen”.

He said police alleged Skillington then sent his brother a message “Ebbs wants to get those things to sell. Has someone (who) wants them.”

However, Ms Ukpabi said those messages, without the context of the entire conversation, did not positively prove Ms Sayers’ participation in the offending.

She said Ms Sayers had provided an alibi that she was at a different residence at the time of this alleged offence, and it was not clear if that had been “properly investigated”.

The court heard Ms Sayers was subject to parole when she allegedly failed to appear in court which Ms Ukpabi said was because she was sick.

“She has a cyst on her brain (for) which she has frequent doctors' visits, every two to three weeks,” Ms Ukpabi said.

“Related to this, she is meant to have surgery for that in the future and suffers migraines and headaches as a consequence of that.”

Mr Saunders said police alleged Ms Sayers knew about the firearms and was referred to during Skillington’s sentencing proceedings as the female who contacted him, asking for a ride.

He said Ms Sayers had previously attended the sister’s address, and the proposed bail address was at her aunt’s home which was nearby on Bedford Road – which turned on to Andergrove Road.

Mr Saunders said Ms Sayers had a seven-page criminal record.

The court heard her most recent sentence was two months ago for tainted property, possessing drugs and unlawful use of a motor vehicle where she received a nine-month prison term and immediate parole.

Mr Byrne refused to grant Ms Sayers bail, remanded her in custody and adjourned her charges to January 14 in Mackay Magistrates Court.

Originally published as Ebony Kaye Sayers charged over Andergrove firearms burglary