Man broke into ex’s home

Climbed through window to confront her new boyfriend

A CORIO man shattered a kitchen window with a metal pole and broke into a home to confront his ex-partner’s new boyfriend.

Bradley Luke, 28, pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary and intentionally damaging property in Geelong County Court on Thursday.

The court heard he called a mutual friend a number of times on May 15 last year to discuss his ex-girlfriend’s new relationship, telling the friend he wanted to shake the new boyfriend’s hand.

Court documents revealed Luke had tried to visit his ex earlier in the day, but she hadn’t answered the door.

He later visited the same friend, who suggested he go to his ex-girlfriend’s house with friends to diffuse the situation.

At one point, Luke claimed to his friend the other man could have a knife and asked if she had a pole.

Upon visiting with two others and not being allowed inside, Luke began kicking the door, the court heard.

The defendant walked back to his ute, removed a long metal pole from the tray and started to hit security shutters. Walking around to the side of the home, he smashed a kitchen window and climbed through it to enter the house.

When people inside the home, including a friend he’d arrived with, tried to close

Luke into the kitchen, he forced the door open.

The court heard that he confronted his ex’s new boyfriend and the pair started assaulting each other, cutting themselves on the glass from the shattered window.

Luke was disarmed and engaged in a verbal argument before leaving through the back door and driving off, later handing himself in at Corio police station.

Defence counsel Hayden Rattray said the defendant had attended a behaviour change program and sought mental health help since the incident, had worked full-time since making bail and was the primary carer for his young child.

Prosecutor Andrew Moore said while no one had been physically injured in the breakin, the entire event was extremely concerning.

“It would’ve been a very terrifying incident for the occupants of the house,” he said.

After being arrested, Luke (pictured) admitted to the incident and had attempted to visit the couple twice, but

IT WOULD’VE BEEN A VERY TERRIFYING INCIDENT FOR THE OCCUPANTS OF THE HOUSE. PROSECUTOR ANDREW MOORE

they wouldn’t open the door. Judge Geoff Chettle said a number of factors had to be taken into account when sentencing, and ordered Luke to undergo an assessment for a community corrections order.

Luke will appear before the courts again in March for sentencing.