‘Let me live!': Man's machete terror during home invasion
That was the phrase quietly spoken by an elderly cancer patient when thought he was going to have his 'head chopped off' during a terrifying home invasion committed by masked thugs armed with a machete and tomahawk last month.
Paul Doyle, 78, who lives alone with his cat, recalled being targeted by unknown men dressed in all black and wearing balaclavas around midnight on June 24 at his home in Forrestfield.
'I'd probably been in bed half an hour, and all of a sudden, my bedroom lights went on,' he said.
'I thought I must be me daughter coming in to say, something's wrong with her mother . . . when I looked up, I was looking at this big silver machete, about this bloody big, just there against my face.
'The bloke was going 'shh'.
'I had tears in my eyes because I honestly thought that this is time. . . I had no show of fighting back or trying to do anything.
'So I just did what he told me.' Home invasion victim Paul Doyle recounted his terrifying ordeal. Credit: Jackson Flindell / The West Australian
Mr Doyle was handed his clothes by one of the men, before he was ordered to leave his bed and sit on the couch, directly opposite a large-framed man carrying a tomahawk sitting on another chair.
The 78-year-old recalled the following events while sitting in the exact spot this week as Midland Detectives appeal for information about the men responsible.
Mr Doyle believes the men were told that he keeps large amounts of cash inside his home, with one of the home invaders scouring his property as the other kept watch of him.
I've only got to say something wrong, and I could end up with my head chopped off. Paul Doyle
Besides a bag of collectors one and two cent coins, estimated to be worth about $1000, tucked inside his bedroom, this wasn't true.
'I started getting heart palpations . . . and (the man with the tomahawk sitting opposite) asked me if I wanted a glass of water.
'I was pretty bloody scared.
'My brain was still thinking that every time he walked in with his machete, I was looking at that and thinking, you know, I've only got to say something wrong, and I could end up with my head chopped off.'
After not being able to find anything except the mere $300 inside his wallet, one of the men used Mr Doyle's keys to enter his garage — which contains tools and a race car that Mr Doyle was working on. Paul Doyle with his speedcar that was vandalised during the home invasion. Credit: Jackson Flindell / The West Australian
One of the thugs later found the bag of coins inside Mr Doyle's bedroom before they ordered him to lie face down on the floor, making him counting to 50 before they fled.
'I finally got up, and as I walked up and got up to here, I heard a car drive off, and I sort of saw the back of back of the car going.
'They took my phone, $300, alcohol and the coins in the bag.
'I ran across the road to my neighbours, and banging on everything, I woke them up, and they come out, and I said, 'oh, can we ring the police? I've just been robbed by these two blokes',' he said.
While Mr Doyle is thankful he wasn't harmed, he has been left traumatised by the incident and is due to see a psychologist this week.
'It's just incredible that they parked in the driveway, come through my front door . . . and reckoned I had a big heap of money.
'They took my phone, the $300, alcohol and the coins in the bag,' he said.
Detective First Class Constable Rebecka Phipps described the crime as 'heinous' as she appealed for anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers.
'We don't want these people in our community and we need the public to come forward with any information about the incident or those responsible, she said.
'Even the smallest bit of information can make a huge impact on the investigation.'
Both men were described as wearing all black with balaclavas on the night of the home invasion.
The victim said they both had tanned skin and spoke with a foreign accent.
Crime stoppers: 1800 333 000
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