A 45-year-old man has been sentenced to two years in prison after breaking into a woman’s Launceston home at night and striking her in the face.
Nakia John Mansell was found guilty by a Supreme Court jury of aggravated burglary, assault and stealing over the incident at a Newnham home on October 7, 2024.
Justice Robert Pearce sentenced Mansell on February 27, ordering he not be eligible for parole until he has served 15 months.
The court heard Mansell and two accomplices entered the home of the woman, who lived alone, at about 2:30am while she was in bed.
One of the intruders pushed a duvet over her face.
She struggled free and immediately recognised Mansell, who was standing over her holding a torch.
The woman had known Mansell for years and had socialised with him at her home just a week earlier.
She began screaming his name. Mansell struck her in the face and told her to “just shut up”.
He then took an electric scooter and a mountain bike belonging to another man from a second bedroom. Neither item has been recovered.
The two other intruders wore face coverings and were not identified.
The only issue at trial was whether the woman could have been mistaken in her identification. The jury was satisfied she was not.
Justice Pearce described the offending as serious, noting Mansell had invaded the home of a woman he knew lived alone.
“In the middle of the night you, in company with two others, invaded the home of a female who you knew lived alone,” Justice Pearce said.
“Fortunately she did not suffer anything but a minor transient physical injury.”
“However, as reflected in her victim impact statement, you subjected her to an experience which would be terrifying for most people and result in serious psychological trauma.”
The court heard Mansell is an Indigenous man with close family connections but a long history of substance abuse and homelessness.
He has an extensive criminal record stretching back to childhood, including numerous prior convictions for burglary, assault and stealing across multiple states.
Justice Pearce noted the current offences were committed during a period of prolific offending in late 2024, shortly after Mansell’s release from a previous sentence.
He said the prospects of rehabilitation appeared “bleak” and there was a strong need for deterrence and protection of the community.
