Grandmother left frozen in fear after ‘loud thud’ leads to horrifying discovery in attic

A grandmother who lives alone in a Housing Trust home in Adelaide, South Australia, was left ‘too freaked out’ to call the police after allegedly discovering a squatter had been secretly living in her attic

A grandmother who believed she had a large possum dwelling in her loft has made a chilling discovery about a far more sinister occupant residing in her property.

The pensioner, who lives by herself in a Housing Trust residence in Adelaide, South Australia, noticed a string of bizarre incidents beginning in late 2025.

She heard unusual sounds from above, her cat grew progressively agitated, and several household belongings had vanished.

“Lots of different things or items went missing, but I thought, ‘no, maybe I’ve misplaced them’,” the woman told Australian news outlet 7NEWS.

She was stunned to uncover the reality when a loud crash reverberated through her dwelling in the early hours of the morning.

“There was this humungous bang,” she said.

“It sounded like somebody had almost fallen through the roof.”

She cowered in fear as swear words emanated from her ceiling.

“I was too freaked out to ring the police because I thought if I made a noise, whoever was up there would come down,” she said.

Officers subsequently searched the premises and verified that an unknown squatter had established a concealed encampment in the ceiling space.

A temporary bed, footwear, crockery, tins of food and drugs were uncovered in the woman’s loft.

It is thought the trespasser gained access to the roof area through damaged tiles and crept down into the house while the elderly occupant was sleeping. The grandmother’s months of eerie anomalies suddenly made sense, including the recurring instance of her toilet seat being left up and new contents appearing in the bowl.

“There’s been someone up there this whole time, getting up and down in my home when I’ve been asleep,” she revealed.

“I got quite upset, and I thought, no, this is not right.”

The elderly woman mentioned that she had repeatedly reported the suspicious noises to the Housing Trust prior to the discovery, but no assistance was provided.

“They make you out to feel like you’re stupid,” she elaborated.

In a statement, the Housing Trust asserted its commitment to tenant safety.

Nick Champion, Minister for Housing and Urban Development, informed Australian news site news.com.au that the Housing Trust was notified of concerns last week.

He stated that since then, the property has been visited multiple times to ensure its security.

The roof has been repaired and the locks have been changed, he added.

“The Housing Trust will continue to work with the tenant to ensure she feels safe in her home.

“I encourage anyone who has immediate fears for their safety in their home or if they think someone is trespassing on their property to contact police who are the appropriate agency to deal with this,” he advised.

A spokesperson for South Australian Police told news.com.au that investigations are still underway.