Wood-wielding pensioner fends off 5 bandits in home invasion

News

A 74-year-old man and his family are counting their blessings after their home was invaded by five men in the early hours of Christmas morning.

The elderly man bravely defended his family using a piece of purpleheart wood.

He spoke to Newsday at his Erthig Road, Belmont home on Christmas Day.

He said around 3 am, five bandits – three masked – jumped the wall at the side of his house and came into his porch.

They kicked down one of the front doors and entered his room. He said the men did not say anything.

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"They moved like robots."

Another family member also spoke to Newsday on the condition on anonymity.

She said when they broke down the door, the family began screaming, in an attempt to alert neighbours.

The man said he took the piece of wood and began defending himself. The five men ran off and got into two cars waiting outside the house.

A 50-inch television and the man's A04 Samsung phone was stolen in this chaos.

"I living here 20 years now and this is a very quiet area and we are quiet people."

The woman butted in, "They (criminals) only targeting normal families. We don't have anything. They might think we have things, but we don't have nothing."

She added that the family had not slept or eaten for the day.

"They distress us this Christmas. We are very shaken up by this."

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Newsday noticed the house was surrounded by four walls, two of which were secured by spikes, nails and broken glass. The five men came over the wall that did not have these protections.

The family said they will be adding additional security features to their home.

"We will add cameras and burglar-proof the house," the woman said.

She added that the police responded in a timely manner and they had patrolled the area a few times during the day.

The man warned people of Erthig Road and Belmont to be vigilant.

"They need to be on the alert. Police were saying multiple homes in Belmont have been broken into recently.

"Right now I watching everybody like they is a suspect."

Police are continuing investigations.