South Lake, Perth: Judge slams young men found guilty of brutally bashing and robbing elderly couple

A judge has rebuked three young men for throwing a rolled-up newspaper and a ceramic pot at an elderly couple before heartlessly robbing them.

Coolio Dereck Mears, 20, and his co-defendant, two men who cannot be named because they were 17 at the time of the attack, were sentenced by Judge Linda Black in Perth District Court on Tuesday.

The trio were found guilty of breaking into Russell and Katie Edwards’ South Lake home in the early hours of January 6, 2021 late last year.

Ms Edwards said the men hit her on the head with a rolled-up newspaper, stamped on her foot and injured her hand as they tried to grab her rings.

Her husband was hit with a ceramic cat ornament that caused blood to gush from his head, after which the young men wreaked havoc in his house.

Judge Black didn’t hold back when she sentenced Mears to three years behind bars and his younger co-defendant to four and a half years and three years respectively.

“It’s beyond my imagination how a young man can look two elderly people in the face and act like you,” she told them.

Judge Linda Black (pictured in October 2021) said the couple would have been ‘terrified’ but Ms Edwards, 92, had been brave enough to investigate the loud bang

The trio were found guilty of breaking into Russell and Katie Edwards’ South Lake home and assaulting them during the early hours of January 6, 2021.

“To not stop what you were doing when you saw how old and frail those two people were… is disgusting.

“If you get the impression that I am appalled at the offense you have committed, you are right.”

Both in their 90s, the couple was awakened by a large, crushing noise to find three men in duffle coats standing outside their door.

Judge Black said the couple would have been ‘terrified’ but Ms Edwards, 92, had been brave enough to investigate and ‘shove’ one of her attackers.

After knocking over furniture and ransacking the house, the attackers “added in even worse” by turning off all the lights and leaving their victims in the dark.

The couple called triple zero as the trio fled the premises with several items, including two watches.

Paramedics had to staple the cut on Mr Edward’s head to stop the profuse bleeding, with graphic images of their injuries later released by WA police.

Judge Black described the attack as “disgraceful” and “disgusting.”

After knocking over furniture and ransacking their home, the attackers “added in worse” by turning off the lights and leaving their victims in the dark

Mrs. Edward’s (pictured) hands were bruised from her attackers’ attempts to take her rings

The couple, both in their 90s, were awakened by a large creak to find three men in duffle coats outside their door (pictured shows their broken screen on the lawn)

“They (the Edwards) were fast asleep in their beds and you scared them, you hurt them and you stole from them,” she said.

She agreed that the offense was not in line with 20-year-old Mears who excelled at school, had completed Year 12 and was drug free.

He had a clean criminal record, unlike his two younger co-defendants, and was the only one to express remorse for his actions.

One of the teens had been released on bail at the time of the attack and both had significant criminal histories.

The Edwards have limited mobility and Mrs. Edwards now has to use a walker to get around.