Two brothers are facing possible jail sentences over a violent home invasion at Oak Flats that was sparked by the spray painting of a picture of a penis on a car door.
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Daniel and Kyle Thomas forced their way into the Central Avenue unit in August last year and confronted one of the occupants who they believed was responsible for the crude drawing.
The siblings attacked the victim, repeatedly punching and kicking him as he used his arms to cover his head.
Meanwhile, the duo's mother, Megan Thomas, was let into the unit by one of the brothers' friends.
She began yelling at the victim, prompting another occupant in the house to scream "why are you doing this?"
"[He] damaged a car, he owes money for the damage," Megan shot back.
She told the woman the victim owed them $200, despite him protesting his innocence. The woman said she would pay the money and the group left the house.
The brothers were subsequently arrested and charged with aggravated enter dwelling with intent, to which they pleaded guilty.
Their mother pleaded guilty to a charge of remaining inside a building with intent to commit an indictable offence.
During Megan's sentencing hearing in Wollongong Local Court this week, defence barrister Melissa Humphreys said the incident had been sparked by one of her sons' cars being vandalised after someone spray painted a large penis on the side of the vehicle.
She said the family had been at a friend's 21st birthday that night when they were learned the identity of the mystery spray painter and had gone to his unit to confront him.
Ms Humphreys said Megan had taken a taxi to the unit after her sons to make sure nothing happened but had been drawn into the melee.
"There was no planning on her behalf to become involved in the events of that evening," Ms Humphreys said.
"She's embarrassed about having to come to court, embarrassed about reports by the media....this was completely out of character for her."
Magistrate Michael Stoddart accepted that Megan had no prior criminal history and had been exposed to news reporting on her case but said she had no one to blame but herself.
"Your behaviour when you got there that night certainly was atrocious," he said.
"You're 44...one would think Ms Thomas that you really would have known better."
He sentenced Megan to a 15-month community corrections order which includes 100 hours of unpaid work. She was also fined $1,000. Her sons will be sentenced in Wollongong District Court in August.
