By PAUL YANDALL
NGARUAWAHIA - Bar manager George Skinner was still shaking yesterday after two armed robbers tied up him, his wife and a staff member and shot another man at the Ngaruawahia Golf Club on Tuesday night.
Mr Skinner said he, wife Sandra and the woman staffer were working when the
men, armed with a sawn-off shotgun and a softball bat, burst in about 8.20 pm.
They demanded money from Mr Skinner and the two women before tying up all three.
They then shot a man who had just arrived to pick up his girlfriend, who was also working at the club. He had disturbed the robbers and they chased him out of the clubrooms and fired at him in his car.
Doctors at Waikato Hospital later removed shotgun pellets from his back.
The robbers escaped in Mr Skinner's green Toyota Hilux Surf, registration WI1934, with what is believed to be a large amount of money.
"I was very frightened," Mr Skinner said yesterday. "I'm still shaking a little. I think everybody's still a bit scared."
Hamilton Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Whitehead said the police had focused their investigation on sightings of the stolen Hilux.
"It's still outstanding so it's important that we locate it."
He said he did not know how the men got to the golf course, which is about 3km south of Ngaruawahia. He would not release details of the offenders' descriptions until he could confirm that the information he had was correct.
Detective Senior Sergeant Whitehead warned the public not to approach the men as they were considered dangerous. He wanted to hear from anyone who knew anything about the robbery, or saw the stolen car being driven fast or erratically on Tuesday night.
Golf club president Roger Bartosh said it was the first time the club had been the target of an armed robbery. "I'm just very grateful no one has been severely hurt."
Mr Bartosh said the five-day holiday weekend might have been a reason for the robbery as the takings from Easter-Anzac Day sales, gambling machines and tournaments would have been in the safe.
The course was closed yesterday while the police carried out forensic investigations. Mr Bartosh said he hoped to have the club open later today for a veterans' tournament which was to have begun yesterday.
The man who was shot in the back did not want to be identified.
By PAUL YANDALL
NGARUAWAHIA - Bar manager George Skinner was still shaking yesterday after two armed robbers tied up him, his wife and a staff member and shot another man at the Ngaruawahia Golf Club on Tuesday night.
Mr Skinner said he, wife Sandra and the woman staffer were working when the
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