A 61-year-old grandmother has described the terrifying moment four armed men smashed into her Gold Coast hinterland home and held a sawn-off shotgun to her head, in what authorities believe was a violent case of mistaken identity.
A Night of Terror on Tamborine
The horrific ordeal unfolded in the dark of night on November 22 at the woman's property in Mount Tamborine. Closed-circuit television footage captured the moment the intruders, armed with a sawn-off shotgun, a baseball bat, and a hammer, jumped her front fence.
"They smashed that window right in front of me and just within two seconds they were through that window and had the gun to my head," the victim, who asked not to be identified, told 7NEWS. Her loyal dog, Batman, bravely tried to protect her, biting one of the assailants on the leg, but was unable to stop the attack.
Demanding Drugs at the Wrong House
The men immediately began swearing and demanding to know where the drugs were. "They clearly came for drugs and had the wrong house," the grandmother stated. For approximately 40 minutes, the intruders ransacked her home before finally realising she did not possess the illicit substances they sought.
Before fleeing the scene, the criminals took cash and alcohol and are believed to have left in a silver Chrysler. In a final act of cruelty, they poisoned the woman's dog, Batman, by leaving contaminated chicken behind. The pet was violently ill the next day but has since recovered.
Life Changed and a Plea for Help
Six weeks on from the traumatic event, the grandmother says she is still living in fear. "I am scared in my own home, they took that safe space away from me — something like that changes a person," she explained, adding that she can no longer stay home alone at night.
Frustrated by a lack of updates from police, the victim is now urging the public to come forward with any information that could assist the investigation. "I just don't want this to happen to anybody else," she pleaded. Anyone with information is urged to contact Queensland Police or Crime Stoppers immediately.
