An NSW mayor is in hospital after a group of intruders forced their way into his house and stabbed him.
Police were told five to six men broke into Hawkesbury City Council mayor Patrick Connolly’s home in Bligh Park after midnight on Monday and threatened him.
Connolly suffered a stab wound to his left arm during the incident.
Liberal candidate for Macquarie Sarah Richards told Ben Fordham the family has a “long road ahead”.
“A couple of his kids saw that and his wife was there,” she told 2GB’s Ben Fordham, explaining she spoke to Connolly on the phone.
“They’re in absolute shock at the moment… it is one of the most horrifying things I think I have ever had happen to one of my friends and his beautiful family.
“Even in that state, (Connolly) was still concerned with his job and looking after the community.”
Police said they believe the invasion wasn’t targeted and is a case of mistaken identity.
“The men then drove from the scene in the family’s white Skoda, taking a few personal items from the home,” they said.
“A woman and four children were home at the time of the incident; they were shaken but uninjured.”
The incident comes as NSW Police establish a strike force to investigate a number of violent home invasions and robberies in Sydney’s inner-west.
Detectives have released CCTV footage of one of the robberies, showing two men entering and quickly bursting out of a home in Newtown in January, and also a black Suzuki Swift the thugs could be using.
The pair attacked a 27-year-old man inside, causing significant injuries to his face and head, and stole cash and a mobile phone.
