Woman in home invasion set free

A CAIRNS mother-of-three, who armed herself with a hockey stick and took part in a terrifying home invasion, has been released on immediate parole.

Kasey Celeste Gorrie did not know the victims but that didn’t stop her from teaming up with four others, who were also armed, and kicking their way into the Cairns home.

Cairns District Court was told the victims had evicted one of the defendant’s friends over continued drug use.

“She involved herself in a feud by driving with her four co-offenders to the complainant’s house. They were all armed,” Carly Hoyer, for the crown, said.

There was a threatening act made towards one of the complainants, but no one was injured or harmed in any way.

“Upon realising that there were two infant children and a toddler in the house the defendant immediately de-escalated the situation,” Ms Hoyer said.

Gorries reassured the complainants, saying she too was a mother, and that they would just collect the evicted friend’s property and go.

“She told her co-offenders to leave the premises,” Ms Hoyer said.

But before they left, one of the co-offenders stole a wallet containing $10 cash, cards and personal identification.

“It is clear the defendant be- came angry at her co-offenders. She told them she wouldn’t have committed the burglary if she had known there were children present,” Ms Hoyer said.

Gorrie, 27, has spent just over eight months in custody because of her actions. Yesterday she pleaded guilty to burglary and stealing on April 29 last year. She was jailed for two years with immediate parole due to 253 days already served behind bars.

Ms Hoyer described it as a “premeditated home invasion”, but said that her efforts in de-escalating the situation should count strongly in her favour.

Defence barrister Stephanie Williams said her client did not participate in any violence.

Judge Dean Morzone said this type of offending “breaches the safety of the home”.

“It unsettles and strikes at the core of a family unit and it is something that will well be remember or at least have an ongoing impact on those involved,” he said.

SHE TOLD THEM SHE WOULDN’T HAVE COMMITTED THE BURGLARY IF SHE HAD KNOWN THERE WERE CHILDREN PRESENT PROSECUTOR CARLY HOYER