Video: Napier liquor store ram-raided twice in three weeks

A Napier liquor store has been ram-raided for the second time in three weeks and is facing another hefty bill after hundreds of bottles were stolen.

About six youths raided the Big Barrel store at Marewa shopping centre at 2.50am Thursday after crashing through the front in an allegedly stolen car.

The owner says the offenders, most of whom appeared to be young teenagers, were at the scene for about three minutes and stole between 200 and 300 bottles of alcohol.

The same store was badly damaged during another ram-raid on September 27.

Police say the vehicle used in the latest burglary was one of “a number of cars” stolen around Napier that night.

Big Barrel Marewa owner Palwinder Singh, whose family founded the nationwide franchise, said there had not been time to replace a temporary wooden entrance installed after the first raid.

“We were still waiting for the steel framing to arrive from the previous break-in.”

The incident was captured on CCTV footage, and Singh said the offenders were “young kids”.

The store was ram-raided in the early hours of this morning. Photo / Warren Buckland

“One or two looked around 14 to 16 and the other three or four looked like maybe 12 or 13. Some of them couldn’t even go beyond the third shelf.”

Singh said the store had insurance, but every time there was a break-in or ram-raid their insurance costs rose sharply, as the policy was renewed each year.

For example, the excess had gone up from $2000 per incident to $5000 per incident for Big Barrel’s stores across the country.

“Under our new policy, the building damage is $5000 – that’s one excess – and then you have stock, which is another $5000 excess. So we are $10,000 down,” he said, in terms of excess if they made a claim.

“It is not even worth claiming because the total loss would be less than $10,000.”

He said Big Barrel had 47 stores across the country and this was the worst 12-month period for break-ins in two decades.

“This is the 28th event in the last 12 months,” he said of incidents requiring insurance claims.

“About four or five were cyclone-related or flooding-related but 20-plus incidents are related to break-ins or ram-raids.”

Singh said the business was in ongoing talks with Napier City Council about installing bollards outside the store.

With a new government coming in, changes would be needed to further address ram-raids, which were “concerning and upsetting” for many business owners, he said.

The same store after it was ram-raided three weeks ago, on September 27. Photo / NZME

“Some sort of behavioural change – whether that is through education or whether that is through community initiatives – something has got to be done.

“I am not a law-maker, they understand what needs to be done, but I just feel sorry for the industry ... and the region as a whole.”

No arrests had been made by this afternoon in connection with this morning’s raid.

Hawke’s Bay area commander Inspector Lincoln Sycamore said “a number of cars” were stolen last night around Napier, including multiple Mazda Demios.

Police say one or more of those stolen Demios were used in the burglary.

“One of the cars targeted had a basic steering wheel lock fitted that prevented it from being taken by thieves,” Sycamore said.

“These locks can be purchased for under $40 and are a visible and effective deterrent.”

On September 26, a dairy in Clive, near Napier, was also ram-raided, which caused significant damage to the store and the neighbouring Clive Pharmacy.

Police would like to speak to anyone who has information about the burglary on Thursday, and members of the public are asked to call 105 and quote event number P056413914.

Anonymous information can be given to CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111.