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AFTER spending an unremarkable day studying at TAFE, Lauren Huxley caught the bus home. Two hours later the pretty teenager was discovered by firefighters beaten, bound, doused in petrol and unconscious inside her parents' burning home. The 18-year-old has not regained consciousness since Wednesday's vicious attack. What happened after Lauren stepping off the bus near her Northmead home in Sydney's north-west at 2.07pm and before firefighters arrived at her home has mystified police. But they believe her assailant must have suffered burns. It is not known if Lauren had been followed from Baulkham Hills TAFE, where she was studying marketing. Yesterday her parents and sister Simone appealed to anyone who saw Lauren on that day to come forward to help police. "The last time I saw Lauren was at 9am Wednesday when I dropped her off at TAFE ... she often took the bus [home] because she didn't have a car," her mother Christine said yesterday. "We have no idea who did this and even less idea why anyone would do this. She's the most beautiful girl, so innocent, she's not in the least confrontational." Police released pictures of Lauren and CCTV footage of her on the bus hoping to jog a memory. Superintendent Geoff Beresford said CCTV footage showed Lauren getting on a bus at Baulkham Hills TAFE at 1.55pm and getting off at a stop near her house at 2.07pm. She was found at 4.30pm by firefighters, with her hands bound, on the floor of the family garage. She had suffered a savage beating to the head and been doused with petrol but suffered no burns. Lauren is now lying unconscious in a critical condition in the intensive care unit of Westmead hospital. Police see the attack as attempted murder. "At this stage we do not have any suspects," Supt Beresford said. "However, we are quite confident that whoever attacked her has suffered burns and we are appealing to anyone who may know of someone who has suffered burning as of Wednesday afternoon." He urged anyone who knew of a friend or relative "who has presented to a doctor, medical centre or hospital" with burns to contact police. Mrs Huxley said her daughter would celebrate her 19th birthday on Christmas Eve. "We are at a complete loss as to why anyone would hurt her," she said, holding back tears. Supt Beresford declined to say whether Lauren had a boyfriend, but said all of her friends had been spoken to and were co-operating. Police would not comment on whether Lauren had been sexually assaulted. Yesterday they still had the house in Moxhams Rd taped off and forensic police were working in the garage. The garage where Lauren was found bound and beaten was not connected to the main house and was not damaged in the fire. Next-door neighbour Joyce Hayward has lived next to the Huxleys for 24 years and said Lauren was a lovely girl. "She was a beautiful young girl, they're a lovely family," Mrs Hayward, 77, said. "She's very popular and very polite - she and her sister always stop and say hello." Mrs Hayward said Moxhams Rd was not known for crime. "It's a bit scary, I always thought this was a reasonably decent type of neighbourhood." Anyone with information on the attack is asked to call Parramatta police or Crime Stoppers(1800333000). Daily Telegraph (12-11-2005) Kate Murray |
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THE sister of Lauren Huxley, who was bashed, bound and doused with petrol in her parents' burning home, begged last night for the public's help to catch the person who left her "innocent best friend" fighting for life. The family of the 18-year-old marketing student have been sleeping at her hospital to keep a 24-hour vigil. They spoke yesterday of their disbelief over the apparently motiveless crime. Meanwhile, police stepped up their investigation, going door-to-door seeking information. Lauren has been in a coma in Sydney's Westmead hospital since Wednesday. Doctors say it will become clear in the coming week whether she has suffered permanent brain injuries. Her sister Simone last night said: "Lauren's my best friend. I always had her under my wing. I was the rebel and she was always the innocent one. "We were constantly doing naughty things when we were little, but I was always the instigator. "Almost every night she came into my room and sat on the bed and we'd talk about friends, boys and watch TV. "She loves Home and Away and Australian Princess, won't leave the house if they're still on. "Her friends and I are making sure we tape every one of them so she can watch them when she's getting better." In hospital, doctors have shaved Lauren's head to better assess her injuries. "Lauren's been growing her hair for nine years," Simone said. "She'll be devastated about that. She loves her hair, but her friends are starting to raise money to help pay for the wigs she'll need. I'm a hairdresser and I'll do whatever she wants - hair extensions, fancy wigs - so she'll feel good about herself. "We go out a lot together, to the races and other events with friends. Everything Lauren did she did perfectly, and tried her hardest at everything. "The day this happened, I got up at 6am to go for a walk, which was unlike me. "When I got home Lauren said: 'What on earth are you doing up?' "When I told her, she just said, 'You're crazy!' "She had been up all night practising her speech for her presentation that day. She'd even bought new clothes for it. "It obviously paid off - she got 98 per cent." Police spent the weekend searching the family's Northmead home for clues. Lauren, who is studying marketing and planning to take up a place at university, was found unconscious in the garage. Two fires were found to have been set in the home, but police do not know a motive. Lauren was discovered in the garage by firefighters who had been called by neighbours at about 4.30pm. She had been doused with petrol but was not burned. Her head injuries appear to have been caused by a cudgel or blunt instrument. She is in a critical condition in the intensive care unit of Westmead Hospital. Her mother Christine said: "The nursing staff have been brilliant. One nurse told me she was treating Lauren as if she was her own daughter." Yesterday, the NSW sex crimes unit joined the team of 10 detectives already investigating the attack attached to Strikeforce Borang. The Daily Telegraph (14-11-2005) Lisa Davies |
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SYDNEY teenager Lauren Huxley remains unconscious and in a critical condition, six days after being attacked and doused in petrol in her home. The 18-year-old is in Westmead Hospital with serious head and other injuries after firemen found her in the garage of the burning home at Northmead on Wednesday. She had been beaten unconscious, tied up and soaked in petrol before her attacker set the house on fire and fled. A hospital spokeswoman said today Ms Huxley remained in a critical but stable condition as police investigated whether there was any sexual motive to the crime. Parramatta police superintendent Geoff Beresford yesterday said the sex crime unit had been called in but police simply didn't know whether Ms Huxley had been sexually assaulted. "There has been no speculation by police, or information from police, that she was sexually assaulted at all - we don't know,"Supt Bereseford said. "We need to confirm that through forensic results and if we're ever able to speak to Lauren, that is the only way we can confirm that." "This is a joint investigation with Parramatta police, the sex crimes unit and the homicide squad. This is a case where we're putting every possible resource into it." Superintendent Helen Begg, of the sex crimes unit, said it was an horrific attack that had shocked not only Sydney, but the whole nation. "Lauren is a very attractive girl, they're a very normal family and I think each and every one of us can feel for the family," she said. Supt Beresford said the public had supplied plenty of new information since police appealed for witnesses to the horrific attack on Friday. But he called for anyone who saw the Huxleys' Moxhams Rd house ablaze between 2.10pm and 4.30pm on Wednesday to speak to police, especially several people who are believed to have stopped to help put the fire out. If you have information about what happened to Lauren, please call Parramatta police or Crime Stoppers. News Interactive (15-11-2005) |
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THE man accused of bashing Lauren Huxley before dousing her in petrol and setting her house alight, leaving her for dead, lives just four streets from her Sydney home. Her family maintains that they do not know Robert Black Farmer, who appeared briefly in Campbelltown Court yesterday. The possibility of a connection between Farmer and Ms Huxley has yet to emerge. The Huxley family's home is on Moxhams Rd in Northmead while Farmer lives nearby at Windermere Ave. No real picture of the police case against Farmer, a carpenter by trade, was revealed in court because he did not apply for bail. However, one charge he faces indicates police believe Farmer assaulted the 18-year-old marketing student with the aim of raping her. There was also an indication investigators in Strike Force Borang had prepared a detailed dossier on Farmer. Police prosecutor Sergeant Jennifer Chenhall asked for a six-week adjournment because "there is a large amount of forensic evidence as well as a large amount of statements". Farmer was arrested just six days before his 37th birthday when officers from the elite State Protection Group raided a property on Radnor Rd, Bargo, southwest of Sydney, about 7.30pm on Thursday. He faces five charges, with the most serious being causing grievous bodily harm with intent to murder and damaging a building by explosives with intent to murder. Ms Huxley has been in Westmead hospital since the November 9 attack and has only this week started to breathe without the help of a machine. Police have alleged the attack occurred between 2.07pm and 4.39pm. Wearing a grey T-shirt and white knee-length shorts with no shoes, Farmer's face betrayed no emotion during the short court appearance which lasted less than five minutes. His gaze switched between magistrate Michael Stoddart and the floor of the dock as he leaned forward, resting his arms on his legs. There was a debate at the start of proceedings as to whether Farmer had to appear personally. However, after deciding the accused was neither ill nor a security risk, Mr Stoddart ordered he be brought up from the cells. Farmer was refused bail and will reappear in Parramatta Local Court, by video link, on January 19. Daily Telegraph (3-12-2005) Rhett Watson |
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A 36-year-old man was due to face court charged over the attack of Sydney teenager Lauren Huxley. Ms Huxley, 18, has been in Westmead Hospital since she was left to die in her burning Northmead house on November 9 after being beaten and doused with petrol. Her unconscious body was found in the garage. The man was charged with five offences including causing grievous bodily harm to a person with intent to murder and inflicting actual bodily harm with intent to have sexual intercourse with the victim. Police said he is expected to face Campbelltown Local Court today. After an intense three-week investigation detectives last night raided a property in Bargo, where they handcuffed the man and took him to Campbelltown for questioning. Police said the man was from Northmead, the same suburb as the Huxley family. The officers were accompanied by heavily armed police from the State Protection Group, who entered the home about 7.30pm, before taking the man into custody. Police had made a special pledge to catch Ms Huxley's attacker. "The case has distressed some of our hardest detectives," New South Wales Police Commissioner Ken Moroney said. "Police should be commended on the job done so far in this investigation. This arrest provides some relief for Lauren's family but we're all still praying for her recovery." Ms Huxley, who was rescued by the fire brigade opened her eyes for the first time this week. She has been on life support but this week was breathing unaided. Detectives from Strike Force Borang were expected to return to the Northmead home where the attack took place and walk the suspect through the house and garage. Police said the family did not know the man. It is still unclear whether Ms Huxley knew her attacker. The Daily Telegraph (2-12-2005) |
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NSW Police Commissioner Ken Moroney has described the robbery at the new family home of bashing vicitm Lauren Huxley as "one of the greatest acts of bastardry" he had seen. Theives stole items of sentimental value to the family, including Lauren's unopened Christmas presents. Adelaide Advertiser (5-1-2006) |
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