An 18-year-old man has been refused bail after allegedly taking part in a violent home invasion in Armidale that left a woman in her 40s with head and arm injuries.
Police were called to a home on Hunt Avenue about 1.45am on Thursday, 8 October, following reports of a break-in and assault.
Officers were told a group of intruders armed with knives had forced their way into the property and demanded car keys from the occupants.
During the incident, a woman in her 40s was allegedly assaulted with a baseball bat, suffering lacerations to her head and injuries to her arm and wrist.
The group allegedly stole mobile phones, a wallet, alcohol and other belongings before fleeing on foot.
NSW Ambulance paramedics treated the injured woman at the scene before taking her to Armidale Hospital in a stable condition. She was later discharged.
A woman in her 70s and a man in his 20s were also inside the home at the time but were not injured.
Following investigations, New England Police District officers executed a search warrant at a unit on Marshall Avenue, Armidale, about 10.30am on Thursday, 15 October.
An 18-year-old man was arrested at the property and taken to Armidale Police Station. Police also seized several items allegedly linked to the investigation.
A second search warrant was executed at another Armidale property about 3.30pm the same day, with officers seizing further evidence.
The teenager was charged with aggravated break and enter and committing a serious indictable offence while armed, committing a serious offence and disseminating footage, failing to comply with a digital evidence access order and breaching bail.
Police also laid two additional charges relating to alleged aggravated break and enter offences at Nambucca Heads in March 2026 and West Kempsey in April 2026.
The man was refused bail and appeared before Bail Division Court 5 on Friday, 16 October, where bail was formally refused.
He is due to reappear before Armidale Local Court on Wednesday, 9 December 2026.
Police investigations are continuing.
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