Greenacre: Four teens arrested after hand chopped off in horror western Sydney home invasion
Police have revealed a major update after a man’s hand was severed in a terrifying home invasion in Sydney.
Four teenagers have been arrested after a man’s hand was cut off in a terrifying home invasion in Sydney’s west.
Police allege four people armed with a machete and an axe kicked down the door and rushed inside a Greenacre home just before 2am on June 6.
A 23-year-old man inside the home was woken by the alarm system and left his bedroom to confront the intruders.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.In a brutal escalation, the man’s hand was cut off before the group took off with stolen cash.
The victim’s parents and two brothers, aged 19 and 16, were also home at the time but were not injured.
Footage of the home invasion released by police on Monday shows four people wearing hoodies march towards the home in single file, before the lead perpetrator - seen carrying a machete - kicks in the front door.
A second man can be seen carrying a blade, which police later confirmed was an axe.
NSW Police Detective Acting Superintendent Stuart Gordon said the young men allegedly “inflicted a terrible injury” and would likely be refused bail.
“We anticipate this morning they will be charged with specially aggravated break and enter, participation in a criminal group and a number of other offences,” Superintendent Gordon said.
“I can say that three of those men are unknown to NSW Police. Despite that, I anticipate all four will be refused bail by police this morning, and the reason for that is the seriousness of the offence.
“The victims in this matter will bear the scars of this crime for the rest of their lives, and these four young men can expect to spend a good portion of theirs behind bars.”
Superintendent Gordon said the incident was “unusual”.
“This is, for want of a better term, a traditional robbery that involved indiduals forcing their way into an innocent family’s home,” he said.
“Once upon a time, we wouldn’t have thought we would be seeing (teenagers) committing the sort of crimes we’ve seen in recent months.”
Earlier this week, Superintendent Gordon said investigators believed the home invasion was financially motivated.
“My information is (the 23-year-old) had his hand reattached, but he obviously has a long and challenging road ahead,” he said.
“Certainly, these are serious injuries and that’s a reflection of the nature of the offence which has been committed here.”
Youth and Crime Prevention Commander Phil Hallinan said the involvement of teenagers in “very serious and brazen crimes” was becoming an emerging trend, and urged parents to be on the lookout.
“Some warning signs can include unexplained cash or wealth for your children. If your kids are walking around with lots of cash, that’s a sign they’ve been paid by an organised crime networks,” Superintendent Hallinan said.
“If they’ve become distanced from you or they’re being very secretive about what they’re doing - and I understand that’s going to be a natural thing for a lot of teenagers - these are some of the signs.”
Superintendent Hallinan said young offenders would traditionally “graduate” through levels of crimes based on their age, but young people who were previously not known to police were now “committing very serious crimes”.
“This is anecdotally what we’re seeing across the state... it’s devastating,” he said.
“It’s so important that as parents you’re aware of where your children are at night, you’re aware of their social surroundings and you’re aware of what they are doing online.
“It is clear these children are being recruited online in some circumstances by organised criminals.”
Neighbours were rocked by the terrifying incident, with nearby resident Peppa branding it “disgusting”.
“You hear it on the news and stuff, but you wouldn’t believe it happened next door,” he told the ABC.
“It is very sad to see.”
He said he did not know the family involved personally, but that he had met the father and described him as “an absolutely beautiful human being”.
He said the son’s injuries were “a massive shock”.
Almost a month after the vicious attack, police raided homes in Kearns, Georges Hall, Eagle Vale, Oran Park and Gregory Hills on Thursday morning.
Four teenage boys between the ages of 16 and 17 were arrested and taken to Bankstown and Narellan police stations.
No charges have yet been laid.
Originally published as Four teens arrested after hand chopped off in horror western Sydney home invasion
