Berwick residents Damien Hynd and Jay Seddon awoke last Thursday to find five men in their house demanding money and hitting them with bats.
By Rebecca Fraser
A BAD dream quickly turned into a nightmare last Thursday, when two young men were tied up and beaten during a violent aggravated burglary in Berwick.
Jay Seddon, 20, woke at 2am to find a group of five men in his house, some standing over his bed demanding money and hitting him with a bat.
Minutes later the men entered another bedroom in the High Street home where 20-year-old Damien Hynd was sleeping.
He was also awoken by the men, bashed, and then tied up with duct tape.
Mr Seddon said the group then returned to his room where they tied him up and hit him again.
He briefly managed to break free but was assaulted again before the group fled the scene with his wallet and home safe.
“I woke up and there was someone standing over my bed. They smashed through the front door that was not locked very well.
“They started hitting me with a bat or something and they asked if I had money and where my money was.
“They tried to open the safe but they broke the key and asked me for the pin code.
“I did not have a pin because the batteries were not in use and I usually just used the key because it was easier.
“Then they went into Damo’s room and woke him up and gave him the same type of treatment,” he said.
The event has left both men stunned.
Mr Seddon said at first he thought he was dreaming when he woke to find the men in his room.
“It was a complete shock. It 100 per cent came out of the middle of nowhere.
“It felt like a dream at the very beginning and I thought it was just a couple of my mates playing a joke.
“They said ‘Give me some cash.’ I said ‘Go away, I’m trying to sleep.’
“It was pretty hard to see as it was all very dark and I had just woken up,” he said.
The home belongs to Mr Seddon’s father and is due to be demolished.
Mr Seddon said he would not return to live in the house and would instead move home with his parents.
“The house is going to be demolished and units built. We were just living there for security and so there was someone in the house,” he said.
The assistant manager of the Project Centre in Narre Warren said he had only just withdrawn $700 from the bank the night before the incident as he was due to get his car serviced on the Thursday.
This money and about another $200 was taken.
Mr Seddon suffered injuries to his lower legs and was taken to the Dandenong Hospital for x-rays.
Mr Hynd received medical attention at the scene.
Mr Seddon said he was determined not to let the incident get to him, but conceded that he might struggle to close his eyes at night for a while.
Police are still investigating the matter. They believe the five men were wearing dark clothing and had their heads covered during the raid.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
