Grandfather, 83, left with smashed skull after brutal home invasion
An 83-year-old grandfather has a smashed skull after a brutal home invasion in Mandurah, south of Perth.
Barry Lawless was sitting at a table having a cup of tea when a man stormed through his front door and started bashing him with a home-made weapon, while his children watched on in horror.
Mr Lawless is a father of six and a grandfather of eight.
He was bashed by a stranger in his living room when his 12-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son sprang into action.
"And my boy, trying to chase him out of the living room, he said: 'I'll get him dad", a tearful Mr Lawless said from hospital.
"Very traumatic, I can tell you."
The 83-year old has no idea why he was attacked and nothing was stolen from his home.
The weapon used "looked like a lump of steel", Mr Lawless said.
"He kept swinging it at me, I was lucky to be alive actually."
On Thursday night Mr Lawless went into surgery.
He has two breaks in his head, is covered in cuts and bruises, and lost 1.5 litres of blood in the horrific attack.
It happened around 9pm Wednesday night on Truarn Street in Mandurah.
Most houses in the street have heavy security, but Mr Lawless' front door was open last night because it was hot.
Across town, the owner of Mandurah Holden says 20 car windscreens were smashed at his yard, creating an estimated $30,000 in damage.
Police say they're trying to find out if there's any connection with the attack on Mr Lawless.
"I mean, you don't think someone is going to charge into your house like that when you're just sitting there, you know," he said.
"It's a bad world."
Police are speaking with a 40-year-old man they say is helping with their investigation.
