A PATTERSON Lakes man arriving home, 6.20pm, Sunday 19 February, noticed a carload of young men driving slowly by his Inner Harbour Dr house watching him.
He went into his courtyard and began working on his motorbike. About 15 minutes later two men tried to kick in his front door.
When one of the men pulled out a large machete and began prying open glass bricks on the side of the front door the terrified homeowner fled out the back, running to a neighbour’s house.
By this time the two men had smashed a glass brick and used the machete to jemmy open the front door, crashing through a window panel. Shattered glass covered the foyer and stairwell.
Once inside they went through cupboards before stealing three phones, laptop and keys to the man’s car, and then driving off in his car in an unknown direction.
When police arrived they found the man still at his neighbour’s house too frightened to return home.
Police later found that CCTV recordings of the front of his house and courtyard had been stopped an hour before the attack.
Neighbours’ CCTV cameras may prove more effective in identifying the offenders.
The first man is described as Caucasian, mid-30s, 183cm, medium build, blond hair, baseball cap, with an Australian accent. The other man was wearing a black hoodie.
Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000.
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 22 February 2017