A boy with autism now lives with a “constant fear of being attacked” after his 12th birthday was ruined by armed men who pushed their way into his family home during the celebrations.
Jaidon Glen Polden, then 18, was one of four men armed with a handgun, knife, taser and knuckledusters when they carried out the “horrendous” home invasion on a Moonah family with five children in June 2022.
The Supreme Court of Tasmania heard how the group forcibly entered the home and, after a struggle with the family, made off with a mobile phone, $3,425 in cash, three lizards (two bearded dragons and one water dragon), a CCTV recorder, a pouch of tobacco and a bong.
Chief Justice Alan Blow said Polden was recognised by a woman in the house and was arrested at a youth shelter in Moonah about 30 minutes after the incident.
He was taken to the Hobart Police Station, where he initially “denied being involved in the robbery” before officers “found a message to somebody giving details of his participation in the robbery” on his phone, the Chief Justice said in his newly published comments on the sentence.
Six days later, Polden carried out another armed robbery on a food van in Moonah, robbing its chef at knifepoint while wearing a balaclava shortly before midnight.
“He grabbed the till and ran off with it. It contained about $260 in cash. He was intercepted travelling away from the scene in a taxi,” Justice Blow said.
The family that Polden targeted have since left Tasmania due to the incident, having suffering from “severe psychological symptoms”, particularly the 12-year-old boy with autism who was celebrating his birthday during the ordeal.
“He had a continuing fear that the intruders would return. It was nearly impossible for the couple to get him to go to school.”
The court learned that Polden has been ‘in and out’ of the foster care system since the age of four due to a childhood marked by “severe child abuse” and ongoing issues with alcohol and drugs.
He has been in custody for over a year since late June last year and was last convicted by a magistrate in April 2023 for various dishonesty offences committed in April, May and June 2022.
Chief Justice Blow said the “only appropriate penalty” was a “significant prison sentence” due to Polden’s young age.
Polden received a backdated sentence of 3 years and 8 months in prison and was ordered to compensate the parents of the family and the food van chef.
He will become eligible for parole after 22 months.
It is not known if the other offenders were ever charged or if the lizards were reunited with their family.
