By DANE LILLINGSTONE
TWO Stanthorpe men have been sentenced today for their role in a violent home invasion in Inglewood last year.
Ryan Murray Johnstone, 28, and Damien James Lane, 24, both faced Warwick District Court charged with a multitude of offences including assault occasioning bodily harm and trespassing.
They each received three and a half years for their involvement in the incident. Mr Lane also faced further sentencing behind closed doors.
During the case both men were revealed to have multi-page extensive criminal records including assault, bodily harm, obstructing police and trespassing.
The court heard three men entered a house in Inglewood on 3 October last year. Originally Johnstone and Lane along with another man entered the house. They were eventually joined by another three men. Some of them were armed with baseball bats.
The residence was occupied by two men when the group attacked them. The father of the men was also there at the time and said he would call police, before he was also assaulted.
The dispute is believed to be over a drug debt with Mr Lane saying “where is my money?” The debt was believed to be $480.
During the incident all three of the men at the home were punched and struck with baseball bats although Mr Johnstone did not possess a bat during the assault.
Mr Lane is a noted violent criminal. The court heard an incident in Stanthorpe in 2012 where a brawl spilled onto the streets. Mr Lane was driving at the time, saw the brawl, pulled over and then went and kicked one of the men on the ground in the head.
Judge Butler said in handing down the sentence that they were both lucky that they didn’t inflict serious injury on the men in the invasion.
“This cannot be a way people in our community resolve their differences,” he said.
“You breached the sanctity of their home.”
Johnstone was sentenced to three-and-a-half years imprisonment for the four charges relating to the invasion. He had close to six months taken off his sentence for time served and will be eligible for parole in six months. He was also already serving 15 months for dangerous driving.
Lane also received three and a half years but his sentencing continued behind closed doors. He had 310 days taken off his sentence for time already served and will be eligible for parole in five months.
