She has survived a terrifying home invasion, being stabbed, her husband stabbed and forced to defend themselves by shooting their attacker. Now 72 year old Di Blessing has turned to activist, kicking politicians into gear and getting the community together at a meeting this Saturday to fight for better phone service – with a previously unknown and terrifying detail making the issue even more real.
It has been just two and half weeks since a 34-year-old man from Deepwater, Joshua Dylan Trethewey, allegedly forced his way into the Blessings’ home at the tiny community of Torrington and stabbed both 75-year-old Keith and 72-year-old Diane Blessing in the early hours of the morning. During the ordeal they first tried to defend themselves with a knife, before Mr Blessing retrieved a legally owned firearm and shot the intruder once in the abdomen. Trethewey has been charged with two counts of grievous bodily harm with intent to murder, and the police investigation is ongoing.
In an email to her state MP, Janelle Saffin the Member for Lismore, and federal MP, Barnaby Joyce the member for New England, Di Blessing, now back home in Torrington, has revealed a terrifying detail of her home invasion ordeal. Had they chosen to run from the house, as police recommended the community do, rather than defend themselves, the couple would not have been able to call Triple-0.
“Many people have marveled at our attempts to fight back against the intruder,” she wrote. “But the reality was we didn’t have a great choice.”
“We have a signal booster which amplifies the tiny phone signal available. It only works around the immediate vicinity of the house.”
“So if we had chosen “flight” beyond the house we would not have been able to phone for help.”
Dear Mr. Joyce,
My name is Diane Blessing. You may have heard about the home invasion at our Torrington property and harrowing attack on my husband and myself on the long night of 3rd/4th June, which resulted in both of us being airlifted to the Gold Coast University Hospital for emergency medical treatment.
Many people have marveled at our attempts to fight back against the intruder. When you are faced with a situation like this the mind goes into fight or flight mode. We fought. Long and hard. But the reality was we didn’t have a great choice.
We have a signal booster which amplifies the tiny phone signal available. It only works around the immediate vicinity of the house. So if we had chosen “flight” beyond the house we would not have been able to phone for help.
As you know, after the 2019 fires Telstra addressed the lack of coverage for the Torrington area by installing a small mast at the rear of the fire shed. This woeful response resulted in phone coverage for residents for a few hundred metres on one side of the village only. I remember at a post fire meeting you joked we could always use the tower as a Christmas tree. Telstra boasts it now covers 85% of Australia! If that is the case why is it that the wider area of Torrington, plus many New England communities, have absolutely no coverage at all?
Many in our community are now worried about their safety and security. With little or no phone service options for help when it is needed are limited. I am asking you to please follow up with Telstra why they consider their unsatisfactory service is adequate for our community. Do you consider their current service to be good enough?
Yours faithfully
Di Blessing
Di Blessing’s email appealing for help to Barnaby Joyce MP and Janelle Saffin MP.
Both state and federal politicians quickly replied to Di Blessing’s email, both expressing their well wishes for the couple’s recovery, and assuring her they were taking it up with the federal government and Telstra directly.
“This unacceptable situation highlights the critical importance of reliable mobile coverage, particularly during emergencies, and underscores the need for appropriate communications infrastructure in regions such as Torrington,” Mr Joyce wrote.
“I have e-mailed letters to the Minister for Communications, the Hon Anika Wells MP, and Mr Michael Marom, Northern NSW Regional General Manager, Telstra Business Regional Australia, asking if urgent consideration could be given to this issue and for their advice as soon as possible.”
Others in the community are now following Di Blessing’s lead, writing emails to local MPs as well as leaders in both State and Federal Governments about their lack of phone service.
The community will gather again this Saturday, June 27 at midday at the Torrington Community Hall to discuss community safety and connectivity, with Janelle Saffin and local council members confirmed to attend.
The lack of connectivity and inability to call Triple-0 was the main issue raised in the first meeting held just two days after the home invasion. It was also revealed at that meeting, that while much of the terrifying incident was captured on the Triple-0 call, the call dropped out at one point.
While Keith and Di are both home now and on the mend, their braveness continues.
“There is a long hard road of rehab and recovery for us both after that long nightmare night,” she said.
“It is my hope that efforts between our state and federal members will bring about that improvement in a timely manner for everybody in the area.”
“I sincerely hope this issue doesn’t just “disappear” with time.”
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