Dairy owner Mike, his partner and daughter cleaning up the mess following an attempted burglary by youths. Photo: Chris Lynch
Two Christchurch business owners and their families should be enjoying the sunny weather today.
Instead, they’re in clean-up mode – again, after another attempted break-in at their dairies.
At 2.19AM, youths pulled up in a stolen vehicle outside the Racecourse Dairy on Epson Road in Sockburn.
They got out of their car and smashed the windows of the door.
They failed to break into the premises but caused thousand of dollars worth of damage.
Photo: Chris Lynch
It’s the forth time the dairy has been targeted, including a terrifying aggravated robbery.
Owner Mike told Chris Lynch the minute the break-in occurred, he was alerted by a security company who called him.
“I was at the shop within six minutes, phoned 111, and soon after, three police cars arrived.
The police were excellent and were here straight away. They told me, the offenders had stolen the car last night.”
Mike said he was angry at the situation and said it was unhelpful for the Prime Minister to say they’ve got crime under control.
“In my view, youths know they can get away with it.
It doesn’t help that we have a soft-on-crime approach to youth offending.”
Just last month, two youths were sentenced to six and five years respectively, after they committed an aggravated robbery at the dairy in June 2021.
“We’ve had to wait 18 months for a resolution and it’s been frustrating,” Mike said.
The latest attack happened just days after a more sophisticated security system was installed at the dairy, which was part of the retail crime prevention initiative funded by police.
Mike’s partner tearfully said “if this happens again, I don’t think I’ll keep working here. It’s too much.”
“I was asleep in bed when I heard a large crash”
Dairy on Pound Road targeted by criminals / Photo: Supplied
Twenty minutes later, youths in a car, ram-raided the dairy on Pound Road.
A police spokesman said they gained entry and “three men in dark clothing stole a number of items.”
Chris Lynch Media visited the dairy owner this afternoon.
“I woke up to a loud crash then looked at the security footage on my cell phone and saw a car had driven right through the dairy.”
When I ran to the dairy, the offenders were gone. What can you do? I always worry this type of thing will happen, and has – again – for the second time.
A Give a little page has been created to help this dairy owner and her family.
Police said they’re investigating both attacks.
