Tara Murray
A man has been sentenced to more than seven years in jail following a home invasion in Westmeadows which left the homeowner feeling unsafe in her own home.
Last month, Ian Schaeffer pleaded guilty in the County Court to a number of charges including being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm, one charge of home invasion, two charges of theft of a motor car, one charge of being a prohibited person in possession of an imitation firearm, one charge of cultivating a narcotic plant and a charge of possession of a drug of dependence.
The court heard that on December 9 last year, Schaeffer and two other unknown males entered the Westmeadows house about 4.30am. A 75-yar-old woman was home at the time.
The three men, who were wearing black clothing and balaclavas, forced their way into the house and woke the woman.
They demanded money and valuables. Schaeffer stayed with the victim as the other two men searched the property.
Schaeffer located a car key and allowed the woman to remove medical paperwork from the car before driving off.
Police seized a hammer, screwdriver, a Band-Aid and a black ladies jacket from the scene, all of which were swabbed and tested for DNA. Preliminary DNA results of the Band-Aid indicated the presence of Schaeffer’s DNA.
Schaeffer was put under police surveillance and was arrested on December 12. The key to the woman’s car was found in his possession, with the car, now fitted with false number plates, parked near Schaeffer’s residence in Tullamarine.
Police found Schaeffer in possession of another stolen car and when they executed a search warrant where they found a room set up to cultivate cannabis, a black balaclava, and a number of different types of ammunition.
In his initial interview, Schaeffer, who was on bail for charges of possessing anabolic steroids, denied being involved in the home invasion. He was charged and held in custody.
In May, Schaeffer indicated that he would plead guilty to all charges.
Judge Michael O’Connell noted Schaeffer’s upbringing, which included him witnessing his father commit murder and his mother also being jailed at times.
Schaeffer had previously spent time in jail on three occasions.
In her victim impact statement, the woman said she now no longer felt safe in the home that she thought of as her sanctuary and had trouble sleeping.
Judge O’Connell said it was a serious example of the offence of home invasion.
He said while Schaeffer wasn’t aggressive like his co-offenders, he acted with an element of professionalism, which can be gauged from planning.
Judge O’Connell found the 30-year-old guilty of 11 charges and sentenced him to a total of seven years and three months in jail, with a non-parole period of five years. He was also fined $750.
