Female intruder dies after fight with Queensland residents: 'Screams for help'
It has been reported the woman was unknown to the occupants and entered the Gold Coast home in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
A woman has died following an altercation with an occupant of a home she entered on the Gold Coast in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
The intruder, who police said was not known to the residents, walked into the Partridge Place duplex in Tugun before being spotted by one of the residents, who went outside to confront her, leaving his partner and children inside.
Queensland Police responded to an emergency call made by the residents around 1.40 am. After local authorities arrived on the scene, they say the woman, reportedly aged in her 30s, was unresponsive after a fight broke out in the backyard.
"She was physically detained by the occupant of that premises and held down on the ground in that position whilst police were contacted until their arrival,” Detective Inspector Chris Ahearn said.
Despite police and paramedics trying to provide urgent medical assistance to the woman, there was “no signs of consciousness” and they were unable to revive her, with police declaring the woman dead at the scene.
'Extremely traumatic situation'
Detective Inspector Ahearn continued by saying despite the family not knowing who the intruder was, she is known to others from the local area.
“We know that she has some loose associations in that area, we believe she had been earlier in the night visiting some associates in the area,” he said.
“Obviously the residents there are devastated by this woman’s death and they’re fully cooperating and assisting police at the time."
The resident involved in the altercation was in a "state of shock" and was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital.
"An uninjured man in his 30s was transported to Robina Hospital for emotional distress," the Queensland Ambulance Service told Yahoo News Australia.
A man who lives in the area told Yahoo News Australia he "heard screams for help" early on Tuesday morning. "It was horrible," the local added.
Homeowners allowed to use 'reasonable force' to defend their property
Despite Detective Inspector Ahearn sharing that police "don't encourage" people to detain intruders on their property, saying it can "produce unpredictable medical outcomes", he also acknowledged the "confronting" situation the family were put in.
"[It is] people's right to defend their property and certainly use reasonable force necessary to effect that defence of property," he said.
"Like any person who would be woken and find an intruder on their house, this person has taken the decision to detain that person," he continued.
The woman's identification is not being given at this time and a police investigation into the incident is continuing.
with AAP
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