Elderly man, 75, assaulted by pickaxe-wielding thug during home invasion

A manhunt is underway after an elderly man was robbed and brutally assaulted by a pickaxe-wielding criminal at his home north of Brisbane yesterday afternoon.

Queensland Police confirmed in a statement that the 75-year-old man came home at 4.40pm on Monday afternoon to find someone rifling through his property in Newport, Queensland.

It is alleged that the offender then threatened the man with a pickaxe and demanded he hand over his car keys.

When the victim refused, he was punched in the face before having his car stolen. The car was reportedly then used in a petrol drive-off incident about two hours later.

“Detectives are appealing for anyone who may have seen the 2016 silver Kia Carnival being driven at speed between Redcliffe and Gympie to contact them,” a police spokesperson said.

“Additionally, anyone with dash-cam footage of the area at the time is asked to contact police.”

The shocking incident follows reports police opened fire on a 25-year-old man last Wednesday, after the armed offender carried out a series of violent car thefts on the Sunshine Coast and led police on a 200km pursuit.

Queensland Police confirmed in a statement that the man had been transported to the Sunshine Coast University Hospital, where he remains in a serious condition following the incident, which was brought to an end when a specialist officer fired at the offender.

Read more: Armed carjacker shot by police after stabbing ‘pregnant woman’ on Sunshine Coast

A spokesperson for the force also confirmed that the criminal was struck by a passing vehicle on the Bruce Highway.

Police will allege that the 25-year-old, who was wielding a knife, began his crime spree when he forced a man out of his Holden Colorado ute in Hervey Bay at around 6.25am. He is then believed to have driven to Tinana, where he discarded the ute around one hour later.

Police pursuit unfolding on the Bruce Highway, following reports of a carjacking in Tiaro. Road closed in both directions at Kulangoor. #qldtraffic #7NEWS https://t.co/39QY1nLXE2

— 7NEWS Brisbane (@7NewsBrisbane) July 10, 2019

He is then alleged to have broken into a home of Three Mile Road West, shortly before 8am, where he demanded that the female resident hand over her vehicle. However, the woman in her 30s – who, according to local news outlet Chinchilla News, was pregnant – refused to cooperate with police confirming that she was then stabbed in the hand during a struggle with the carjacker.

“The man produced a firearm and discharged a number of shots before fleeing the scene,” police added.

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