Home invader launched reprisal attack after thinking victim killed her dog

Discovering her dog had been run over and killed, Kock-Kedhia Maker Makoi thought a former friend must have been responsible.

But she has avoided being sent to jail for her role in joining a terrifying reprisal attack on the woman, which left the woman with bruises and a severely damaged home.

The 29-year-old arrived almost an hour late for her sentencing in the ACT Supreme Court on Tuesday (21 November), which Justice Belinda Baker told her was “unacceptable”.

On 21 June 2020, the victim and others had driven to Makoi’s home to drop off items that belonged to the victim’s former housemate.

After she drove off, Makoi found her dog, Nipsy, dead on the road outside her home. She blamed the victim and her friends and called police.

But then, on the night of 22 June 2020, Makoi and at least two others went to the victim’s apartment.

The victim alleged one jumped on top of her and assaulted her, then she was attacked with a wine rack. She also said she could hear smashing noises coming from other rooms while she was being assaulted.

“You killed my dog,” Makoi yelled before the intruders left.

“This is not over.”

Police were called and arrived to see significant damage to the apartment. The victim was left with bruising and swelling to multiple parts of her body.

Justice Baker found Makoi guilty of aggravated burglary, assault and damaging property by joint commission after a judge-alone trial earlier this year.

Four other women had stood trial beside her, also accused of being involved in the home invasion. However, Justice Baker said while Makoi’s involvement was supported by evidence, this was not the same for the co-accused and she found them all not guilty.

Justice Baker also said while she had concluded that Makoi was a member of the home invaders, she was not satisfied that it had been her who inflicted the injuries on the victim or damaged her property.

Makoi is Sudanese and endured a challenging childhood as she had been raised in refugee camps in Kenya where she was exposed to violence.

She moved to Australia in 2004 and is a mother of two who now works as a casual labourer for a fencing company.

She continues to deny her involvement in the home invasion and has not shown remorse.

Justice Baker ultimately said this was an exceptional case that did not require full-time jail after having regard to the effect imprisonment would have on her family, her upbringing in a refugee camp and her personality disorder.

She said Makoi’s crimes stemmed, in large part, from her inability to regulate her emotional responses after she believed her victim had killed her dog.

She was convicted and sentenced to three years and eight months’ jail to be served via an intensive corrections order, a community-based sentence.

As part of the order, she must not use alcohol or drugs, not contact the victim and must engage in drug and alcohol programs as well as psychological counselling as directed.

“I’ve got a good story for you,” Makoi told reporters while walking past them after she was sentenced.