By MONIQUE DEVEREUX
A Waikato man robbed in his home after being threatened with a machete says he had only just started to recover from a similar attack four years ago.
The Waikokowai man, who wants to be identified only as Michael, says he has spent the past four years virtually locked in his home after being robbed and viciously beaten.
On Monday night, he relived the horror when he opened his door to a man holding a machete. In both robberies, Michael's prescription morphine was taken.
The sickness beneficiary immediately handed over the drugs.
"I was told by the cops last time that if this ever happened again I should just cooperate. I thought that would make him leave, but he wouldn't go away."
The robber tied him up and stuffed a sheepskin rug in his mouth.
"Then he threw the bedclothes over me, so I just had to lie there all trussed up and wonder what he was going to do next.
"I thought last time was bad enough, but with a big machete involved it certainly makes things a lot more frightening."
The robber stayed in the house for around half an hour before cutting the phone line and running off. Michael believes he was looking for more drugs, but there is never more than a week's supply in the house.
In the robbery four years ago, he was kicked so hard he lost most of his teeth. His attacker was caught and sentenced to five years' jail.
Waikokowai is a village west of Huntly with just a handful of houses and a primary school. Michael says he chose to live there 15 years ago "to get away from all the people, and from this kind of thing."
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
Latest from New Zealand
NZ over-65s staying in paid work longer to ‘transition into retirement’
Superannuation kicks in at 65, but people are staying in work longer.