Two men on the run after Forrestfield man held at knifepoint in home invasion
Paul Doyle had just gone to bed on June 24 when his Forrestfield home was flooded with light, a man looming above him.
"When I looked up, I was looking at this big silver machete," he said.
The 78-year-old was told to get dressed, the knife-wielding man assuring him he would not be hurt.
Mr Doyle said the two home invaders demanded cash, allegedly taking $300 from Mr Doyle's wallet, a bag of old one and two cent coins and some alcohol.
He said he was held at knifepoint while one of the men searched the outside shed which held one of his beloved speedway race cars, which he built and raced for decades.
Later Mr Doyle discovered white paint poured over the car's engine, worth an estimated $20,000.
After about 30 minutes, the intruders told Mr Doyle to lie face down and count to 50, after which they were gone.
The retiree was physically unharmed and described the men as "amateurs", offering Mr Doyle a glass of water and a blanket to lie on.
"They were too polite," he said.
"Both of them kept saying 'relax, we're not going to hurt you'.
"My brain was still thinking every time he walked in with the machete ... I've only got to say something wrong and I could end up with my head bloody chopped off."
After the intruders fled the scene, Mr Doyle ran to his neighbours, who alerted police.
The two men remain on the run, with both described as having tan skin and speaking with a foreign accent.
Mr Doyle said he thought the incident had been targeted, due to the offenders' apparent knowledge of his cars.
"That was targeted, because [the engine is] the most expensive part of the car, but the rest of the car as well is expensive," he said.
Detective First Class Constable Rebecka Phipps said the motivation for the alleged attack was being investigated.
"At this stage we can't rule out whether it was targeted or not," she said.
She said "appropriate and significant" resources have been dedicated to apprehending the alleged offenders.
"This is a heinous crime against a vulnerable member of the community," she said.
"People should feel safe within their own home and should not have to live in fear that these kinds of attacks will take place."
Mr Doyle said a swift resolution to the matter would go a long way towards easing his concern.
"I think I would love to see the police get them and put them in jail for 100 years," he said.
"It knocked me around a lot."
Anyone with information about the alleged incident is asked to contact police.
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