Police arrests gardener after suburb incident claims life of 74-year-old grandfather

Disclaimer: This article includes discussions and portrayals of violence against elderly individuals, which may be disturbing for some. Reader discretion is advised.

In a quiet community north of Brisbane, a family's sense of safety was shattered in an instant, turning what should have been an ordinary day into a scene of tragedy and disbelief.

The peaceful suburb of Burpengary East, typically known for its friendly atmosphere and close-knit community, is now grappling with the aftermath of an incident that has left residents reeling and searching for answers.


On a seemingly normal morning of April 25, police were summoned to perform a welfare check at a gated home where they stumbled upon a harrowing scene.

Nicholas Reeves, a 74-year-old grandfather, and his wife, Sue, aged 71, were discovered with critical head injuries.

The emergency unfolded rapidly, with Nicholas tragically declared dead at the scene, while Sue was rushed to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital in a life-threatening condition.


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A gardener was charged with murder and attempted murder after an elderly couple suffered critical head injuries at a home in Burpengary East. Credits: YouTube / 7NEWS Australia


The suspect, a 26-year-old Beachmere man, was reportedly hired by a neighbour to carry out ‘gardening work’.

In a twist that shocked the community, he was found uninjured at the property, where he awaited the arrival of the police.

Detective Inspector David Harbison stated that the young man was taken into custody without incident.


As the investigation unfolded, the gardener was charged with one count of murder and one count of attempted murder.

He was refused bail and scheduled to appear in Pine Rivers Magistrates Court the following day.

Deputy Inspector Harbison was quick to clarify that this was not a domestic violence-related incident and that the accused was not previously known to the victims.

‘A dispute of some type has broken out and an altercation, and unfortunately the 70-year-old victims have been severely injured, one fatally,’ he said.

‘We believe he just attended today to do some form of gardening duties.’

It's unclear what initiated the dispute, according to Deputy Inspector Harbison. Nevertheless, the police are not seeking any additional persons of interest.

‘Police were still investigating if implements or weapons were used in this incident...it’s very early days of this investigation, so we don’t have the full facts yet,’ he stated.


Neighbours who found the couple and provided first aid are understandably distressed, with one telling reporters, 'I just feel devastated...they’re beautiful people, owned their own business.'

The couple was well-regarded in the neighbourhood, having organised street parties to foster connections among residents.

Deputy Inspector Harbison described the event as both tragic and devastating.

‘It is so terribly traumatic for anyone to see this, including first responders,’ he said.

‘We hope to get to the bottom of it and learn more and try and understand how this incident occurred.’


Unfortunately, the couple’s ordeal was not an isolated incident, as similar cases of violence against seniors have been reported across different regions.

One of these was the shocking assault by a trusted family friend known since infancy on an elderly woman in Surry Hills.

Meanwhile, a man was also charged after allegedly attacking another elderly woman in the emergency department of Bankstown Hospital in Sydney.

In Adelaide, a granddad also sustained serious injuries after an alleged scooter attack at an intersection.
Key Takeaways
  • A gardener was charged with murder and attempted murder following a harrowing incident at a home in Burpengary East, where an elderly couple sustained critical head injuries.
  • The 74-year-old homeowner, Nicholas Reeves, was declared dead at the scene, while his 71-year-old wife, Sue, was critically injured and hospitalised.
  • The 26-year-old suspect was taken into custody at the property and appeared in Pine Rivers Magistrates Court following the incident.
  • The incident was not believed to be related to domestic violence; police are still investigating the cause of the dispute and whether any weapons were used.
If you or someone you know has experienced something similar or needs someone to talk to, please reach out to local support services or community groups.

Our prayers and thoughts go to Mr Reeves's family and friends, and we pray for Mrs Reeves’ quick recovery.
 
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Something needs major change! Seems to be not enough consequences & law protects the guilty & penalizes anyone defending themselves in any situation whatsoever!

Ice scourge affecting users to the point of aggressive behaviour on innocent victims & they dont seem to have any awareness or control over their own actions apparently!
 
Something needs major change! Seems to be not enough consequences & law protects the guilty & penalizes anyone defending themselves in any situation whatsoever!

Ice scourge affecting users to the point of aggressive behaviour on innocent victims & they dont seem to have any awareness or control over their own actions apparently!
Also the mental health act needs to be revised. There are some criminally insane people who should never be out on the lose.
 
It is a sad society when we all have to be so careful of going anywhere or doing anything, saying anything, to the wrong person, for fear of losing our life. Mental health claims or not the people who commit these crimes need to be locked up for life with no prospect of ever being released. Age should not be a factor in the sentence, anyone old enough to commit murder is old enough to be sentenced to life in gaol.
 
(We hope to get to the bottom of it and learn more and try and understand how this incident occurred.)

Let him have a court hearing first before we all decide he is an Ice addict, knife bearing thug, with mental health problems.
We don't know what happened.
Trouble is it's not a "normal" thing to do. I never understand how someone can lose their temper so much with someone that they end up killing them? 😕
Just shout at them if you have to and walk away.
 
It is a sad society when we all have to be so careful of going anywhere or doing anything, saying anything, to the wrong person, for fear of losing our life. Mental health claims or not the people who commit these crimes need to be locked up for life with no prospect of ever being released. Age should not be a factor in the sentence, anyone old enough to commit murder is old enough to be sentenced to life in gaol.
A fact which some of you may not know. Having a mental illness does not equate to violence. Statistically, contrary to popular belief, violence amongst the population experiencing mental health issues is no greater than the general population. There have been thousands of scholarly articles written over the years which validate this. I have personally read about 80 - 100 of these journal articles.
 
(We hope to get to the bottom of it and learn more and try and understand how this incident occurred.)

Let him have a court hearing first before we all decide he is an Ice addict, knife bearing thug, with mental health problems.
We don't know what happened.
Well whatever the circumstances we do know he is a person unable to control his temper and if he tried to kill an elderly couple what are his limits? He should be put down or imprisoned for life.
 
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Furthermore, the following paragraph is evidence of my previous post.

Steadman’s prospective study on recently discharged patients indicated that the one-year prevalence rates for violent incidents was 18 percent for major mental illness without co-occurring substance abuse, 31 percent for major mental illness with comorbid substance abuse, and 43 percent for personality-disordered patients with comorbid substance abuse. The rate for mentally ill patients who didn’t abuse substances was roughly equal to that of patients who are not mentally ill and who did not abuse substance.

So, the prevalence of co-existing substance abuse is the ROOT CAUSE of violence amongst those who experience mental illness. For those who are interested, here is the full journal article. Be warned....it is a bit technical.

 
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Trouble is it's not a "normal" thing to do. I never understand how someone can lose their temper so much with someone that they end up killing them? 😕
Just shout at them if you have to and walk away.
No, it's not a normal thing for most to do. My point is we are not in a position to judge him without full evidence and information. How could anyone ever have a fair trial, with behavior like this?
 
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This is a very sad situation and so close to home and such a nice acreage environment. How could this happen , the killer was working as a gardener on a neighbour’s property .
An ordinary person would not just kill people , like what happened , there must be something terrible wrong in his brain and or illegal substances. Hopefully this has to be clear before his punishment comments. He should never be released in the community .
My thoughts go out to the Reeves family.
 
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Talk about a lynch mob - hope you guys never do jury duty
Check the rearrest percentage. The police have to rearrest the same people after the court allow them to go back on the street. We would have sufficient police if the courts did due diligence. Too many on bail recommit the same crimes if even worse and stop telling us that they have had a hard upbringing or have mental health problems.
 
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