A man has faced court today, charged following a home invasion in the state's New England region last week, and a break and enter on the state's north coast earlier in the year.
About 1.45am on Thursday 8 October 2026, officers attached to New England Police District were called to a home on Hunt Avenue, Armidale, following reports of a home invasion and assault.
Police arrived and were told a group of alleged intruders, armed with knives, had broken into the home and demanded car keys from the occupants.
A woman in her 40s was allegedly seriously assaulted with a baseball bat during the incident, suffering lacerations to her head and injuries to her arm and wrist.
The group then reportedly fled on foot after allegedly stealing mobile phones, a wallet, alcohol and other items from the occupants.
The woman was assessed by NSW Ambulance paramedics before being taken to Armidale Hospital in a stable condition for further treatment of head lacerations. She was later released.
A woman in her 70s and a man in his 20s were also present during the incident with no further injuries reported.
Following extensive inquiries, about 10.30am yesterday (Thursday 15 October 2026), police executed a search warrant at a unit on Marshall Avenue, Armidale.
Officers arrested an 18-year-old man at the address – where several items related to the investigation were also located and seized – and took him to Armidale Police Station.
Following further inquiries, about 3.30pm the same day, police executed another search warrant at a home in Armidale where they seized additional items related to the investigation.
The man was charged with,
- Aggravated break and enter and commit serious indictable offence-armed
- Commit s 112(2) offence and disseminate (post and boast)
- Fail to comply digital evidence access order direction, and
- Breach of bail.
He was refused bail and faced Bail Division Court 5 today (Friday 16 October 2026), where he was formally refused bail to reappear before Armidale Local Court on Wednesday 9 December 2026.
The man was also charged with aggravated commit serious indictable offence in dwelling-people there, and attempted aggravated commit serious indictable offence in dwelling-people there. Police allege the man was involved in an aggravated break and enter in Nambucca Heads in March 2026, and an attempted aggravated break and enter in West Kempsey in April 2026.
Inquiries continue.
