Armed home invasions and carjackings will be upgraded and harsher sentences given out under new crime laws introduced into State Parliament last week.
People charged with aggravated carjackings, home invasions and aggravated home invasion offences will be automatically remanded, regardless of their age, and will face sentences of up to 25 years in jail, after the new laws come into effect.
The new legislation will amend the Crime Act 1958 to define the new offences of carjacking, aggravated carjacking, home invasion and aggravated home invasion.
Home invasions will carry a maximum penalty of 25 years’ jail, while an aggravated home invasion will carry a minimum non-parole period of three years.
Home invasion is when a person, with others, commits a burglary while armed, or when there is someone in the house.
The new laws introduce an element of “strict liability”, meaning it is irrelevant whether the offender knew that someone was home at the time, or not.
Aggravated home invasion charges will apply when there are at least three armed offenders, who commit a burglary on premises where someone else is present.
Carjacking offences will carry a maximum penalty of 15 years’ jail, while those convicted of aggravated carjacking could face a 25-year prison sentence.
A statutory minimum non-parole period of three years will also apply to aggravated carjackings.
Carjacking is when an offender, or offenders, use force, or threaten to use force, to steal a vehicle.
Aggravated carjacking is when the offender has a weapon, or they injure another person during the offending.
Police Minister Lisa Neville said while carjackings and home invasions aren’t common, they are “appalling crimes”, which take a “huge toll on their victims and communities”.
“The community expects that police will have the powers and resources they need to target these criminals – and that’s exactly what we’re giving them.”
Police Association secretary Ron Iddles said this new legislation should be backed up by “significant” increases to police numbers to prevent and detect these types of crime before they occur.
