Thieves took sentimental greenstone and jewellery from a Rotorua woman's home while she is stuck in quarantine. Photo / Getty Images
Thieves took sentimental greenstone and jewellery from a Rotorua woman's home while she is stuck in quarantine. Photo / Getty Images
A Rotorua woman has been left devastated after thieves ransacked her home and stole thousands of dollars worth of sentimental jewellery including precious greenstone while she is stuck quarantined in Auckland.
Trudi Bishop had returned from Perth last week after an unexpected three and a half months away.
Shehad initially gone over to visit her sick brother and just before she was set to return home, she broke her leg.
As her leg began to heal, borders started to close and, after months in lockdown, she was finally able to return home.
Trudi Bishop had her home broken into while she is stuck in quarantine in Auckland. Photo / Supplied
She was nearing the end of her quarantine stint when she received the call yesterday from her family that her Mangakakahi home had been broken into. Thousands of dollars worth of sentimental greenstone and other jewellery that had been passed down for generations had also been taken.
"It absolutely broke my heart. I still can't believe it," Bishop told the Rotorua Daily Post.
Bishop said thieves had "smashed up" her house that she had lived in for 30 years and broken into her padlocked room to get access to her sentimental goods.
Inside they took a diamond ring, gold cuff links and a bangle, wartime antiques and greenstone items that had belonged to her great-grandmother.
"Most of the items had been handed down for generations. They are so precious to my family and me."
Bishop had never worn any of the greenstone jewellery, as she was "always too scared of losing it".
Bishop's daughter's room was trashed in the burglary. Photo / Supplied
The diamond ring had once been insured for $17,000 and the gold bangle even had her late mother's teeth marks on it as her grandparents had put it in her mouth as a baby.
Although she was insured, she said, she did not care for the money at all. She just wanted the items back for her family's sake.
"I'll pay to get them back, I'll do anything."
Her ex-partner and grandson were staying at her property while she was overseas but were not home at the time of the burglary.
The thieves had knocked down doors and stolen her TV, as well as other small electrical items but none of that meant anything to Bishop.
She said if anyone had seen anything, she would not ask any questions for information.
She felt as though the people who broke in had been "trying to hurt her" as they had mainly taken things that meant the most to her and left a lot of other things.
"I had expensive crystals I had bought for myself that were moved, not taken, moved."
A gold bangle stolen from Bishop's property. Photo / Supplied
Bishop had suffered a bad stroke last year and was told that under all circumstances she should not stress for her health.
"I haven't eaten or slept since finding out ... it is really taking a toll on me."
She had reported the burglary to local police yesterday and she had been assured that they would look into it.
Inquiries were ongoing into the incident that was thought to have happened about 6.40pm on Monday, a police spokeswoman said.
Tamati Coffey, MP for Waiariki, said burglary at any time, let alone during a challenging pandemic was unacceptable and "there is no mana in theft".
"Taonga have a wairua linked to them that cannot be broken, especially intergenerational items passed on through whānau like these.
"In terms of te ao Māori and te ao wairua, there are definite repercussions for this kind of disrespect, and I'm a strong believer in this knowledge."
He said he was calling on those responsible to right their wrongs and give the Bishop whānau their lost items, pounamu, and the beloved pieces of their family's history back.
