A 62-year-old grandmother receiving cancer treatment was allegedly confronted by two armed intruders who broke into a Jupiter Street home in Springfield Lakes at around 3.30am on Saturday, with a 15-year-old local boy since charged over the alleged offence.
Linda Bray had been staying at her daughter’s home while undergoing chemotherapy when two offenders allegedly forced entry into the property armed with knives and a meat cleaver. Rather than speaking, one of the alleged intruders held a phone up to Bray’s face with a typed message: “This is a robbery.” The pair allegedly claimed to be part of a group of four and told her the family, including her grandchildren, were being held hostage elsewhere.
“That to me rips my heart out, they’re my grandbabies,” Bray said.
Despite the terror of the situation, Bray managed to find some dark humour in how the night ended. The pair allegedly stole a wallet, car keys, children’s shoes and a vape before attempting to make off with a vehicle parked outside. They abandoned the effort almost immediately after realising the car was a manual.
“They moved it back about a metre and then obviously worked out it was a manual and there was no ‘just put it into drive’ moment,” Bray said. “That was the funniest part.”
A Family Left Shaken
Bray was not physically injured during the alleged incident, but her daughter Sabra Brookes has spoken plainly about what the ordeal could have meant for her mother’s health. Chemotherapy places enormous physical and psychological strain on a patient, and unexpected trauma carries real medical risk.
“These people could have just stopped you getting life-saving treatment,” Brookes said.
The weight of that sits differently when the victim is already fighting for her health. Bray is mid-treatment, staying with family precisely because she needs support, and the home she was staying in on Jupiter Street became the scene of an alleged violent robbery in the early hours of a Saturday morning.
Teen Charged, Second Offender Still at Large
Queensland Police charged a 15-year-old Springfield Lakes boy on Monday afternoon. He faces two counts of entering premises and committing an indictable offence, along with one count each of entering a dwelling with intent while armed and armed robbery. He is being dealt with under the provisions of the Youth Justice Act.
The second alleged offender has not yet been located, and investigations remain ongoing. Police are urging anyone who was in the area of Jupiter Street, Springfield Lakes, on Saturday morning and has CCTV or dashcam footage, or anyone with information about the incident, to come forward.
Anyone with information can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Published 16-April-2026
