by Cam Lucadou-Wells
A violent home invader in Noble Park who told police he’d been bashing a lot of “junkies” to “clean up the streets” has been jailed.
Jackson Vaotuua, 26, with a long drug history himself, had shown little insight nor remorse for “a very nasty offence”, Victorian County Court judge James Parrish said on 16 July.
The innocent residents, a man and woman, were unknown to Vaotuua and assaulted for “no apparent reason”.
“And to this day you have not really offered any reason whatsoever why that took place.
“Perhaps the only inference to be drawn is that you were so drugged and (with) alcohol in you, that you just have got no idea why you did do it.”
On 9 April 2023, he and an unknown accomplice banged on the door of a flat on Lightwood Road and awoke the victims.
On opening the door, the male was punched twice in the face by Vaotuua.
The woman was assaulted by the co-offender, but she escaped through a bedroom window and called triple-0.
The intruders stole a TV, phone and the man’s RAV4 vehicle – which was later found by police parked outside Vaotuua’s home that night.
Police arrested Vaotuua at his home. They seized cordless drills and bank cards stolen from a car minutes before the home invasion.
In a police interview, Vaotuua said he couldn’t remember what happened that morning. He was too affected by alcohol and about 10 Xanax tablets taken the day before.
He told police that he had previously “bashed” a lot of junkies at the same flats, and may have done so again that morning.
It was his way of “cleaning up the street” or “cleaning up the area”.
Later, Vaotuua said he was unaware of making the remarks and must have still been “substance affected” at the time.
Meanwhile, the male victim told the court he had suffered a broken, bloody nose. He and his children were evicted by his rental agent as a result of the attack.
They remain scared to leave the house, and fearful of anybody near their home.
A psychologist assessed Vaotuua as a “moderate to high” risk of reoffending.
This was due to housing instability, unemployment and seven untreated mental-health disorders, including complex PTSD, major depression and several substance use disorders.
A qualified chef, Vaotuua had previously worked at a host of restaurants including at Parliament House and Southgate.
In sentencing, Judge Parrish took into account that Vaotuua was “subjected to profound dysfunction” as a child.
Vaotuua pleaded guilty to home invasion, thefts and assault.
He was jailed for up to four years and nine months, with a 38-month non-parole period.
His term includes 464 days in pre-sentence detention.
