National MP Judith Collins has stepped in to assist the owner of a house demolished by a group of 22 people the night former tenants were evicted.
Collins, the local MP for Papakura, has been in contact with the man, who only wants to be known as Sandhu, after the group kicked in walls, smashed all of the windows, ripped out kitchen and bathroom cabinets and left water running at the property on April 17.
The property has been left untouched awaiting police and insurance assessment.
Sandhu was upset by a “lack of communication” from Police but this week Collins assured him they were investigating after speaking to a dectective at the Counties Manukau CIB.
Collins was told police had conducted a full scene investigation and taken samples from the Papakura property.
“A full scene examination has taken place with forensic samples taken for further analysis,” the detective told Collins.
“A number of inquiries have taken place and are ongoing within the community and otherwise.
“At this stage we will have to complete the full investigation before we can be in a position to make decisions on what the outcomes there may be around enforcement action”.
Collins told the Herald police were doing what they could with limited resources.
“Police are under increasing pressure to deal with the results of a soft-on-crime government that has increasingly failed to back Police as they try to keep New Zealanders safe,” she said in a statement to the Herald.
“We understand that Police are actively pursuing this particular matter to get a result”.
Sandhu said he was under pressure to get the property repaired because he was struggling to pay the mortgage of $900 a week.
He was working full-time and driving for Uber at night to make ends meet.
There has been no clean-up at the house because Sandhu is still waiting for the insurance assessor to visit.
“I have talked to my insurance company and I’m hoping they will come out soon and assess it,” he said.
“There have been delays because they are busy with the damage from floods but I need to get it sorted soon so I can get the repairs done.
“I’m really struggling at the moment.”
After the house was damaged Sandhu was concerned for his family and had thought of leaving New Zealand.
Since then he said he has received a lot of support from his local community who were shocked at the damage.
People in the neighbourhood had offered to help clean up the mess and rebuild Sandhu’s destroyed house.
“I have had a lot of people say they will help clean up and it has been very nice,” he said.
“As soon as I know what is happening with the insurance I can start making a plan of what to do.”
Sandhu said he hoped police would find the group responsible so he could move on.
He was shocked at the level of destruction.
“On the first night there were 22 or more people and they went around smashing everything up and turned taps on so it flooded,” he said.
“Then they have been back to the property again and left dead fish there and then about 12 people came back again and smashed up what was left.”
The property manager for the property said the former tenants had been evicted and had moved out that day.
They were ordered to leave through the tenancy tribunal because of unpaid rent and water charges and denying access to the property for inspections.