Community 'icon', 74, bashed in Syd home

A 74-year-old swim instructor bashed and left unconscious on the floor of her Sydney home for 16 hours is an "icon" in the local community who often opened her door to the vulnerable.

Rose Agius was allegedly attacked by a 34-year-old man whom she spotted in her bedroom in Lugarno on Wednesday afternoon.

The man, who is believed to have known Ms Aguis, is accused of punching her to the ground and kicking her until she passed out.

She lay there injured until emergency services found her at 9am on Thursday and rushed her to hospital with head injuries.

Detectives arrested the alleged home invader a few hours later and charged him over the attack.

The veteran swim coach's long-time friend Tanya Pinto said Ms Agius taught her children to swim and gave her a part-time job as an instructor. In many ways, Ms Agius was her "second mum".

"She's an icon. If you grew up in the area you'd know she dedicated her life to teaching kids to swim," Ms Pinto told AAP on Friday.

"It is all about serving the community. Her lessons weren't expensive - she used to say she never wanted a child to miss out because of money."

But Ms Agius' friends often worried her warmth and generosity could be taken advantage of.

"She always helped people who needed help," Ms Pinto said.

"She would always open her door to people, let them stay without paying rent if they worked on her garden or around the house."

Ms Pinto said the idea Ms Agius could be targeted because of her trusting nature was "disgusting".

"She's a small, feisty little Maltese thing but she'd say 'I love everybody'," Ms Pinto said.

Police seized a number of items from the alleged attacker's home for forensic examination.

He has been refused bail and ordered to appear at Sutherland Local Court on Friday.