Kaikohe farm manager appeals to thieves who stole grandfather's watch

Farm manager Matt Stoddart is appealing to thieves to return his grandfather's watch. Photo / Supplied

An essential worker in Kaikohe feels "violated" after thieves broke into his house and stole $30,000 worth of gear, including a precious gold watch which belonged to his late grandfather.

Farm manager Matt Stoddart was in the middle of moving when the burglary took place at his house on Mangakahia Rd on March 29, during the level 4 lockdown.

High-end home audio gear, farming gear, tools, chainsaws, a weed-eater, gardening gear and a steam cleaner were all taken.

The tools alone were worth around $5000, he said.

But the biggest loss was an old gold watch that belonged to Stoddart's grandfather, given to him when he retired from his job at the former telephone exchange in Hawkes Bay.

His grandfather was a returned serviceman, a driver in the New Zealand Army who served in Italy during World War II.

"It's all I've physically got left of him now that he's gone," Stoddart said.

"At first it was anger and shock that there was someone in the house. When I had a closer look, I just felt violated.

"There were plastic storage bins with linen for the kids' beds. I've got a few boxes with treasures from the kids - cards and pictures and things - and someone's' been right through everything."

Stoddart was a tenant in the house as part of his job on the farm. The company was moving Stoddart and two other workers who lived in neighbouring houses to a different farm 10km away.

Although he doesn't live with his ex-partner, they still get on well and he had some of their children's possessions at his house when the burglary happened.

Matt Stoddart, who is a farm manager in Kaikohe, is angry thieves stole $30,000 worth of tools and equipment from his house. Photo / Supplied

Stoddart discovered the burglary when he returned on Monday morning to collect paperwork.

"I had a text from my boss saying alarms were going off at the milking shed. They'd taken a few hundred litres of fuel, an air compressor and a water blaster.

"They also went to another worker's house, leaving the porch and garage doors open. Fortunately, he'd already moved his stuff."

Stoddart was not insured.

He is appealing to the thieves to return his grandfather's watch.

Senior Sergeant Peter Robinson, of Kerikeri police, said the theft of anyone's property is unacceptable, particularly during a state of national lockdown.

"Not only are these people affecting the livelihoods of those they're stealing from they're also exposing people to unnecessary risk. They may be contaminating scenes that they are burgling and stopping people from doing their essential work."

Robinson asked anyone who notices suspicious behaviour to record details of the vehicle, and rego number and pass them on to police.

Anyone with information can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or phone the police non-emergency number on 105.