AN elderly Beerwah couple were beaten and terrorised by a group of teenagers in a shocking case of mistaken identity after the attackers forced their way into the wrong house in a brazen late night home invasion last year.
Police today announced they had charged six people with more than 70 offences as part of Operation Whiskey Cheviot, established to investigate two violent robberies including the November 27, 2023 attack and one at Glass House Mountains.
Police allege a group of men broke into a house on Burys Road, Beerwah while armed with baseball bats and a gun.
They allegedly made threats to two occupants of the home before striking the male victim on the arm with a bat, then stealing a quantity of personal items and fleeing the scene.
The 75-year-old man suffered injuries to his arm during the incident.
On November 30, a 17-year-old Sunnybank Hills boy was charged with two counts of armed robbery, two counts of deprivation of liberty and one count each of enter dwelling with intent, serious assault of person over 60, and face disguised with intent to commit indictable offence.
He has been remanded in custody and is due to next appear in Maroochydore Childrens Court on June 5.
Months later, on March 21, 2024, police allege the other men in the group broke into a Morrison Road, Glasshouse Mountains property, armed with a meat cleaver and firearm.
They allegedly made threats to two occupants of the home before striking the male victim, then stealing personal items and fleeing the scene.
The 47-year-old man suffered injuries to his right hand during the incident.
Detective Acting Inspector, Craig Mansfield, confirmed that the first incident was a mistaken address.
“Part of the evidence that we will be alleging is the first address they attended, they got the wrong address, so that will be fleshed out during the brief appearances in court,” he said.
“They got the wrong address, they were innocent, they were all victims and were innocent, and it’s manifested into what’s happened over these last few months.”
On May 1, police charged a 19-year-old Crestmead man with three counts of armed robbery with violence, three counts of deprivation of liberty and one count each of grievous bodily harm, enter dwelling and commit indictable offence, extorsion with intent to cause serious personal injury and use face mask or disguise with intent to commit indictable offence.
He has been remanded in custody and is due to reappear in Brisbane Magistrates Court on May 27.
On May 8, police conducted search warrants and arrested four additional men at properties in Sunnybank, Eight Miles Plains and Munruben.
A 19-year-old Woodridge man has been charged with three counts of armed robbery with violence, three counts of deprivation of liberty and one count each of grievous bodily harm, enter dwelling and commit indictable offence, extorsion with intent to cause serious personal injury and use face mask or disguise with intent to commit indictable offence.
He has been refused police bail and was due in Richlands Magistrates Court today, May 9.
A 19-year-old Eight Miles Plains man has been charged with three counts of armed robbery with violence, three counts of deprivation of liberty and one count each of grievous bodily harm, enter dwelling and commit indictable offence, extorsion with intent to cause serious personal injury and use face mask or disguise with intent to commit indictable offence.
He has been remanded in custody and is due to reappear in Richlands Magistrates Court on June 28.
A 19-year-old Kingston man has been charged with three counts of armed robbery with violence, three counts of deprivation of liberty and one count each of grievous bodily harm, enter dwelling and commit indictable offence, extorsion with intent to cause serious personal injury and use face mask or disguise with intent to commit indictable offence.
He has been remanded in custody and is due to reappear in Brisbane Magistrates Court on May 27.
A 19-year-old Crestmead man has been charged with three counts of armed robbery with violence, three counts of deprivation of liberty and one count each of grievous bodily harm, enter dwelling and commit indictable offence, extorsion with intent to cause serious personal injury and use face mask or disguise with intent to commit indictable offence.
He has been remanded in custody and is due to reappear in Brisbane Magistrates Court on May 27.
Detective Mansfield added that police weren’t ruling out that there many be more people involved in the two hinterland robberies.
“We haven’t ruled out that there wasn’t more people involved, we certainly know that the 17-year-old male from the first address incident is associated with one of the 19-year-old men,” he said.
“There’s only been one person charged with that first home invasion, we are hoping there will be more developments for it to charge further people for the first home invasion.”