Elderly victim pulled blanket over her head as drugged up burglars ransacked her home, court hears

A 76-year-old Caveside woman was told to stay in bed by three drugged up burglars as they ransacked her home. One of the offenders faced court today. READ THE COURT DETAILS >>

• Nurse sexually harassed aged care patients
• Woman seeks bail after alleged $1M ice trafficking

A ROCHERLEA man has pleaded guilty to the drug-fuelled invasion and burglary of a 76-year-old Caveside woman’s home in April.

Joshua Michael Brown, 32, appeared in the Launceston Magistrates Court on Tuesday and pleaded guilty to 30 charges across several separate incidents.

The court heard that about 3.15am on April 26, Brown, another man and a woman took the drug ice before burgling the home of an elderly woman at Caveside near Mole Creek in the state’s North.

Brown “shouldered” open a rear alcove door, found a set of keys and used them to enter the house.

The trio walked around the home loudly believing it to be an “empty horse trainer’s house” where “there was meant to be a lot of money”.

They stole about $20,000 of jewellery and electrical goods.

The 76-year-old resident woke and saw a sensor light on in the hallway and called out.

Brown and his accomplices entered the woman’s bedroom and told her to stay in bed.

The court heard the woman pulled her blanket over her head and stayed in bed for 10 minutes after the offenders left before calling the police.

Police Prosecutor Jarrod Lightfoot said the woman was not threatened or assaulted in the incident.

The alleged offenders were arrested and charged in the days following the burglary and $12,000 worth of stolen property was recovered by police.

Brown was charged with aggravated burglary, two counts of stealing and breach of bail.

Over a separate incident on December 5 last year, Brown pleaded guilty to unlicensed possession of a loaded rifle, 49 rounds of .22 ammunition and six shotgun shells, which police found in the boot of his car.

Defence Lawyer Lucy Flanagan on Tuesday indicated she would make submissions for Brown to be assessed for a Drug Treatment Order at his next court appearance.

Magistrate Ken Stanton activated two suspended sentences Brown was subject to at the time of his offending totalling more than four months.

He remanded Brown in custody to be sentenced or assessed on August 3.