Broome incident: Family speaks after three Aboriginal kids ‘who had gone swimming’ restrained with cable ties

An Aboriginal woman who tried to rescue her young relatives, who were allegedly cable tied by a tradie outside a Broome home, claims the accused threatened to hurt the children before he “pushed” family members away from the distressed kids. A 45-year-old Broome man has been charged with three counts of aggravated assault after he restrained three children under the age of ten using cable ties on Tuesday afternoon. It is believed the incident was sparked after four children jumped the fence to a property on Conkerberry Road in Cable Beach before they were found swimming in a pool by the tradie. The West Australian understands the fourth child fled the scene without being restrained before he alerted family to the ordeal. Police allege the force the man used to restrain three of the children “was not proportionate in the circumstances” after they were called to a “trespassing incident” at the property around 2.15pm. When distressed family members rushed to the scene, they discovered a six-year-old girl, seven-year-old boy and an eight-year-old boy in tears — all bound with cable ties. Asharahni Lilwayno said the tradie refused to let them go despite desperate pleas from family. “I went live on Facebook and recorded the man, and we were telling the man to cut the cable ties off their wrist and just wait for the police... but he just didn’t want them to let go,” Ms Lilwayno told The West. Ms Lilwayno said she managed to take a photo of the three children bound by their wrists before the tradie “pushed” her out of the front yard. “When we tried to walk in there to get them he pushed me and my mum out of the yard,” she said. “When we pulled up there, and when that man was pushing me out of the gate... the little (eight-year-old) boy snapped the cable ties with his hands and then he just jumped over the fence and ran down the road.” “It was just upsetting, we were so angry with him just shouting at him, telling him to let them go but he just didn’t want to listen to us. “He just kept saying, ‘I’m waiting for the police... I’m waiting for the police’.” Witnesses told The West the man had been working at the property for a local air-conditioning company when he discovered the children swimming in the pool at the house. The business has since been hit with a barrage of abuse online and a series of one-star Google reviews in protest against the worker’s alleged actions. Ms Lilwayno – who is related to the seven and six-year-old - said that one of the kids involved claims the 45-year-old man also threatened to hurt the children. “One of the kids said that he just grabbed them all, zip-tied their hands up, and they told them he told him that he was going to get a big stick and hit them,” she said. “They were very upset, they were crying, and they were just shouting for their mum.” Police confirmed the children were reunited with family after they were assessed by paramedics. The man was arrested before he was subsequently charged with three counts of aggravated assault. “The man was granted bail and is due to appear in court at a later date. Police continue to work closely with the affected families and acknowledge the challenging circumstances surrounding this incident,” police said. Ms Lilwayno said that the children were aware that entering the property was wrong but that the man’s actions were unjustified. “They jumped the fence and hopped onto the property, the (pool) gate was open so they just went and had a swim ... they didn’t do any damage to the house.” “They knew that it was wrong, but they are just kids you know. “They saw the pool and it was a hot day.... so they just jumped in.” Another witness told The West the children were tied up out the front of the property for more than an hour — at a time when Broome recorded temperatures of 33C. Member for Kimberley Divina D’Anna said she was horrified by the footage but was quick to call for calm from the community. “I was appalled at the footage I saw today,” Ms D’Anna told The West. “As the matter is subject to a police inquiry, it would be inappropriate to make further comment. “At this time, it’s important the community remains calm and allows the police to conduct the investigation.”