A trio of men “moved like a violent little pack” in a “menacing” attack on a young family’s home in Lynbrook, a sentencing judge has said.
Abdullay Hussein, 26, Ruy Ruy, 24, and Rashith Perera, 25, pleaded guilty at the Victorian County Court to common assault, affray and damaging property as well as being armed with criminal intent.
Hussein faced further charges from bashing and spitting blood on a prison officer while in remand.
On the evening of 10 September 2024, Perera knocked at the home’s front door and scuffled with the male victim on the doorstep and the front lawn.
A male occupant ran outside to assist and tried to pull Perera off the victim. Perera eventually ran from the scene.
Soon after, Perera, Hussein and Ruy returned in a vehicle with an unloaded revolver, which they left in the car.
The victim heard another knock on the door, and a voice called outside to “open up”. He replied: “F*** off, I’m calling the cops.”
The group smashed a glass pane at the front door and three other front windows. They demanded money and threatened the victim – who pleaded with them to leave due to children being inside.
In sentencing on 8 December, judge Fiona Dodd said it was obvious to the trio that by their second visit, they were attacking a family home with children inside.
She described the attack as “outrageous”, “cowardly”, “casual” and “menacing”.
“You moved as a violent little pack.”
Judge Dodd inferred the occupants would have been “absolutely terrified” that the trio would enter the property, especially while windows were smashed.
She noted the trio’s early guilty pleas, as well as their varying personal histories.
Sudan-born Hussein had violent attitudes, a psychologist reported.
His criminal history dated back to his teens, including aggravated burglary, assaulting an emergency worker, recklessly endangering serious injury and armed robberies.
Awaiting trial on separate charges of murder and conspiring to kidnap, Hussein faced an “uncertain future”, Judge Todd said.
The judge noted that Hussein claimed his life was put in danger in a “traumatic experience” in 2024, meaning he didn’t feel safe in the community.
He was also diagnosed with depression, anxiety and drug use disorders.
Ruy had been previously guilty of driving and drug offences, with no history of inflicting violence. He’d suffered head injuries in a car accident, as well as PTSD symptoms from witnessing domestic violence as a child.
His rehabilitation prospects were moderate but “certainly not hopeless”, Judge Dodd noted. Still at a young age, he was at risk of being “coarsened” and “corrupted” in custody.
Perera, who grew up in Dandenong, had a promising soccer career until a serious shoulder injury.
Homeless, depressed and abusing an array of drugs, he was drawn to the more criminally “experienced” Ruy and Hussein at the time of the offences.
He was facing outstanding charges of theft and possibly cannabis possession.
Not previously being in custody, Perera was released on a CISP bail program in which he performed “poorly”.
Hussein was jailed for 34 months, with a 23-month non-parole period. He’d already served 448 days in pre-sentence detention.
Ruy was jailed for 12 months – which he had already served during a 446-day remand period.
Pereria was jailed for 89 days – already served – plus a 30-month community correction order. His supervised CCO included 150 hours of unpaid work and treatment, as well as judicial monitoring.
