KAP deputy leader Nick Dametto urges state government to adopt Castle Law policy after shocking Townsville home invasion

After a woman had a knife held to her throat in a horrifying home invasion, a NQ MP says there is only one thing missing from youth crime legislation. VOTE IN OUR POLL.

MP Nick Dametto is calling for the Castle Law to be introduced into the Queensland parliament. Picture: Shae Beplate.

In the aftermath of a terrifying Townsville home invasion, in which a mother had a knife held to her throat, a North Queensland MP says his party will not stop until victims have the rights to defend themselves “by any means necessary”.

Katter’s Australian Party Deputy Leader Nick Dametto described the Mother’s Day home invasion as the “most horrendous crime”, adding that Queensland crime victims need Castle Law.

Three youths broke into the house and threatened the mum before stealing her keys and taking off with a vehicle. The woman’s three young children were home at the time.

KAP’s Castle Law policy would allow for victims to be able to use force “by any means necessary” to defend themselves against perpetrators in their own homes.

Last month the Crisafulli Government announced more than 20 offences which will be added in the second lot of Adult Crime, Adult Time laws, which are set to include rape, attempted murder, attempted robbery (armed or in company, or with violence) and stealing a vehicle, or firearm for use in another indictable offence.

MP Nick Dametto is calling for the Castle Law to be introduced into the Queensland parliament. Picture: Shae Beplate.

The party argues that the laws should go further.

Mr Dametto said that while the offenders did not hurt the victim physically, they would be “emotionally traumatised for the rest of their life”.

“When someone has a knife against your neck, when someone has a weapon in your house, you should not be acting in any other way other than defence, you shouldn’t be considering whether or not you’re acting in a way which is like for like force. You should not be hesitating,” he said.

With some opponents of Castle Law saying using physical force in retaliation could escalate the scenario, Mr Dametto argued that if passed it would give protection to the victims.

“If that woman was to have wrestled that knife from the assailant and then done what she had to do to defend herself at that time, Castle Law, if passed here in Queensland, would actually give her the protection to do what is necessary at the time,” he said.

A QPS spokesman confirmed that the “unknown offenders” forced their way into the house in Puffer Court, Mount Louisa, by breaking a glass door. Picture: Supplied

“No one should have to go through the court system to then try and prove their innocence in a situation like that. In this case it may have helped, it may not have helped …”

Mr Dametto said the LNP government has adopted nearly every one of the KAP’s crime policies, everything from removing detention as a last resort all the way through to Adult Crime, Adult Time. He said Castle Law was the “final step”.

When asked if Castle Law would create a ‘slippery slope’ in regards to the level or necessity of violence used as self defence, Mr Dametto said he doubled down on his belief that people should be able to defend themselves.

“If someone’s in your home at night that isn’t supposed to be there and they pose a threat to you and you find yourself defending yourself against them, then I don’t think there is a slippery slope there,” he said.

“If there is a cricket bat beside wherever the person comes through, if there is a gold club, if there’s something on the bench like a kitchen knife – if you’re forced to defend yourself and use a weapon to do that you would be protected by this law.”

Premier of Queensland David Crisafulli. Picture Lachie Millard

Mr Dametto disagreed with critics of Castle Law who said it amounts to “state sanctioned murder” saying there had to be an element of self defence.

“Just because someone is on your property doesn’t give you the right to go over there and use deadly force on them,” he said.

“The fact is murder needs to have intent, it needs to have motive and all those things don’t equate at all to self defence.”

Mr Dametto said the KAP would introduce their own stand-alone bill on Castle Law if the Crisafulli government does not introduce it into policy.

The state Opposition called out the government for a “lack of transparency and due process” on releasing the advice from their Expert Legal Panel, which has shaped the second wave of laws.

Opposition Youth Justice spokeswoman Di Farmer said Mr Crisafulli’s second wave of Adult Crime, Adult Time Laws “is simply an admission they got it wrong the first time”.

Minister for Youth Justice and Victim Support Laura Gerber described the attack as ‘horrific’ and said the state government was offering ‘all the support we could’ to the family.

“A decade of Labor’s watered-down laws allowed these young offenders to run riot through communities across Queensland with zero consequences.

“While it will take time to reverse Labor’s decade of despair, we are seeing green shoots in key offences of stolen cars, break-ins, and robberies across Queensland since the introduction of Adult Crime, Adult Time.”

Originally published as KAP deputy leader Nick Dametto urges state government to adopt Castle Law policy after shocking Townsville home invasion