A young man has sustained life-changing injuries after his hand was severed during a violent home invasion in Sydney's southwest. The homeowners' 23-year-old son was confronted by four masked men armed with machetes after they allegedly kicked in the front door of the family's Greenacre home and stormed upstairs shortly before 2am on Saturday.
The man was allegedly struck with a machete, severing his hand. The offenders then forced the victim's father to open a safe before fleeing with a large sum of cash in a dark-coloured SUV.
Police describe attack as 'brutal'
Bankstown Area Commander Superintendent Rod Hart described the attack as "brutal". "Those four males then ran upstairs to the first floor and it's at this point where the 23-year-old victim exited his bedroom and was confronted," Supt Hart told The Daily Telegraph. "One of the males then struck him with what we believe is a machete and severed his hand. Unfortunately, this has been a brutal home invasion, and he will have life-long injuries."
Victim and family not known to police
Emergency services treated the victim at the scene before he was taken to hospital in a stable condition. Four other occupants of the home - a man and woman in their 40s and two males aged 16 and 19 - were uninjured. According to News.com.au, police believe the home was specifically targeted for cash, with investigators suspecting the offenders knew money may have been stored at the property.
Supt Hart said the family had operated a business in western Sydney for many years and was well known in the local community. Detectives say there is no evidence the attack is linked to organised crime and the family is not known to police.
Investigation ongoing
Riot Squad officers conducted line searches in the area on Saturday as detectives canvassed the neighbourhood and continued speaking with family members. A crime scene has been established and investigations are ongoing.
