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Home / New Zealand

'Please leave me alone' - Rotorua pensioner burgled four times this year

Alice Guy
By Alice Guy
Reporter, Rotorua Daily Post·Rotorua Daily Post·
26 Jun, 2017 07:02 PM3 mins to read

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Allan Kirk's home has been burgled four times since January. Photo/Stephen Parker

Allan Kirk's home has been burgled four times since January. Photo/Stephen Parker

Thieves have ripped a Rotorua pensioner's security cameras and alarms from his wall - the fourth time this year he has been targeted by burglars.

It's left a worried Allan Kirk asking what more he can do to protect his home and possessions.

Mr Kirk, 69, came home yesterday from a weekend away to find his books strewn across the floor, the television gone and the glass of his ranch slider shattered.

"I was really upset," he said.

"You work hard to get these things, then someone comes along and helps themselves."

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The thieves had turned off power to the property, ripped the alarm and security cameras from the wall and broken the dead locks.

They entered the property through the broken ranch slider.

Since January burglars have stolen stereos, an Xbox, a water blaster, fishing equipment and televisions - which were bolted down - from Mr Kirk's property, costing him close to $2000 in insurance claims.

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The theives unbolted the television and broke the deadlocks on the door. Photo/Stephen Parker
The theives unbolted the television and broke the deadlocks on the door. Photo/Stephen Parker

"What else can I do? I had alarms and I had cameras. I've done everything I can and it still doesn't stop them," he said.

"Please just leave me alone, I've worked all my life to get these things."

Mr Kirk bought his Pohutakawa Dr home last September and said apart from the burglaries he felt safe there.

"It feels s*** and it makes you mad," he said.

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"The house was pretty run down when I moved into it. I've worked repainting it and tiling the kitchen.

"Now I'm seriously thinking of renting it out so I can live somewhere else."

There were 299 thefts in the Owhata West area between July 2014 to April 2017 according to police data.

There were 37 in the area directly surrounding Mr Kirk's property.

Allan Kirk is worried his son will be home next time theives target his home. Photo/Stephen Parker
Allan Kirk is worried his son will be home next time theives target his home. Photo/Stephen Parker

Mr Kirk said he was worried about his 10-year-old son who came to stay during the weekends.

"It worries me, what if they do it when my boy is here, what then?" he said.

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"You're always thinking, what's going to happen next and you don't want to go to work in case they come in again.

"It makes me feel sick."

Mr Kirk said the police had been helpful.

"The Government's babysitting these jokers and there's nothing the police can do," he said.

"The way things are going at the moment, it's disappointing."

Rotorua police crime prevention manager Inspector Stuart Nightingale said it was "totally unacceptable" for Mr Kirk to have gone through all those burglaries.

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He said police were aware of the circumstances and were working hard to find those responsible.

"This is fairly impulsive offending and is completely upsetting for the occupant and his family and we are looking forward to apprehending the person responsible," he said.

"It's devastating for that gentleman."

Mr Nightingale asked people to be alert in the Hannah's Bay and Holden's Bay areas.

"If you see a young man or woman up the driveways of any houses in that area, it's wise to ring 111 and we will get there straight away and track them with dogs."

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