‘Retribution’ motivated pair’s crime

A YOUNG man and woman “motivated by retribution” have received suspended prison sentences for their role in a five-person “violent home invasion”, a court has heard.

Serene Ann Quinn and Broden Montefiore, aged 22 and 24 respectively, both pleaded guilty to entering a dwelling and committing an indictable offence in the Cairns District Court on Thursday.

The court heard from Quinn’s defence barrister Brydie Bilic how the group of five became concerned after a young woman told them she was in a car with a sevenweek-old baby and a man, and the man had “effectively wrenched on the handbrake and taken control of the car in a dangerous manner”.

“He then got out of the car and was walking home,” Ms Bilic said, adding that other members of the group – not Quinn – were friends with the man.

The court heard how at 9.30pm on May 3, 2020, the man was in his house, sleeping, when Montefiore and Quinn and another man dragged the complainant out of bed and the others surrounded him and shouted at him.

Quinn, the court was told, tried to hit the man but ended up scratching him as she was dragged back by Montefiore.

Judge Dean Morzone QC said the nature and seriousness of the offending was obvious.

“It did involve five people motivated by retribution involving the incursion of someone’s own home, playing your particular roles, to which you both owned up in an interview after other offenders implicated you,” he said.

But he also took into account Quinn and Montefiore’s lack of criminal history, their co-operation with authorities, and efforts made since.

“It does seem to me that both of you carried out this perhaps in a well-meaning way, but warned not to do so by the person you were seeking to get retribution for,” Judge Morzone said.

“But it is not the proper way.”

He sentenced the pair to 15 months’ imprisonment each, suspended immediately.