Toowoomba tradie Andrew Proud jailed for role in violent home invasion robbery

‘I’ll kill you’: A court heard a Toowoomba man was pinned to a bed with a machete to his stomach, during a horrific home invasion involving a group of masked men armed with weapons.

The Toowoomba Court House. Toowoomba City police station watchhouse. Picture: Peta McEachern

Three years after a group of armed men rammed their way into a Toowoomba home demanding drugs and money from the occupants, the final offender was sentenced in court.

At the Toowoomba District Court on Tuesday, February 27, one of the men who played a nonviolent role in the robbery, Andrew Cameron Proud, was sentenced to a five year jail term.

The court heard three young men, and three teenagers, planned the robbery which occurred on August 6, 2020, and targeted the home over an alleged drug debt.

Crown prosecutor Ellen Fletcher said there was no evidence to suggest the victims were involved in any criminal activity, noting they had been cross-examined on multiple occasions.

However, judge Paul Smith expressed some skepticism.

During the robbery, the masked men, except for Proud, were armed with weapons which included a large number of bats, a machete, and a hammer.

At the Toowoomba District Court on Tuesday, February 27, Andrew Cameron Proud leaded guilty to six charges which included armed robbery at night while in the company of others, arson, and unlawful use of a car, and was sentenced to a 5 year jail term.

The court heard when the men kicked the door in about 9pm, a young man and two young women inside the home tried to barricade themselves in a bedroom.

The gang demanded money and drugs, and accused the occupants of owing them a debt.

The victim male, tried to use his body to hold the door but succumbed under the offenders’ weight.

One of the women fled and was chased by one of the armed assailants, however she managed to reach a neighbour and alert the police.

A security camera stationed at the front door captured the men entering and leaving the home a number of times with their arms filled with stolen items.

The court heard while the victim was being attacked with the machete in the room, Proud was looting the home and was captured carrying a large television from the home.

Proud pleaded guilty to the robbery while in custody for other minor crimes relating to his drug addiction.

The woman was not injured, however during the assault of the male, he was pinned to a bed at knifepoint and told to hand over the goods or else he would be killed.

He sustained a break to his jaw, a head laceration, and a number a cuts to his arm and hands.

The men then stole a car from the home which they left burnt out and abandoned on a highway later that night.

Darling Downs barrister David Jones KC said the time Proud had spent in pre-sentence custody had saved his life, noting he almost died of an overdose before his arrest.

Proud was on bail for the robbery, however was arrested in late 2023 for less serious alleged crimes.

Mr Jones said Proud started using Xanax at 16, and later abused a variety of drugs including the opioid suboxone, MDMA, prescription medications, and cannabis.

He said the drugs had a significant effect on Proud’s mental health and caused psychosis episodes, however noted he was now clean and determined to stay away from drugs.

Mr Jones said, Proud’s mother said the 22-year-old was a gentle boy who excelled at sports and school.

He said during the crime there were leaders and followers, and Proud, who was homeless and 19-years-old at the time, was clearly a follower.

Judge Paul Smith said the crime was brazen and serious, but accepted Proud played less of a role and had little criminal history at the time.

Proud pleaded guilty to six charges which included armed robbery at night while in the company of others, arson, and unlawful use of a car, and was sentenced to a five year jail term.

The 113 days spent in pre-sentence custody was declared time served, and he was deemed eligible to apply for parole.

In May, 2022, the main offender, Trae Matthew Pickering, was sentenced to a six year jail term following a trial.

In late 2021, Tyrone Edwin Delaney was also sentenced to a six year jail term as he was on parole for drug trafficking at the time of the violent robbery.

Proud’s full release date is July 5, 2025.