Burglars could kill - victim

Jean Serjeant and her grandson Tewhetuarangi.

A Rotorua grandmother is terrified burglars could kill someone after her home was raided as she and her grandchildren slept.

Jean Serjeant's Fordlands home was burgled on Saturday night and the thieves were within touching distance. She said she was normally a light sleeper but a full-on family day meant she slept soundly - otherwise she worries what might have happened.

"They've had a taste of walking in a house with people sleeping in there - they're going to do it again," Ms Serjeant said.

"That's scary. Next time someone might wake up. If one of us had woken up they could have killed us."

She was sleeping in her bedroom with her partner and grandson Tewhetuarangi, 4, who shares the room with them. From that room, a laptop they had been watching movies on was stolen.

Her 13-year-old granddaughter Tutiyana was asleep on the couch in the lounge after staying up late playing PlayStation games. The 32-inch television and PlayStation 3 was stolen. Ms Serjeant said the game control was either in her hand or had been dropped on the floor as she slept and that had also been stolen. Her 9-year-old grandson Elliot was staying at his dad's.

"It's frightening. We don't feel safe in our own home. After the police came to get fingerprints, Tewhetu wanted to know if they could bring our stuff back. He's only 4 but he knows someone has taken our stuff and now he's making sure everything's locked up. He was restless when going to sleep Sunday night. I kept thinking someone could be in the house.

"It doesn't feel like our home any more."

She said their house got broken into some time after 2am, when her partner went to bed, and 6am when she woke. She realised they had been burgled when she noticed the front door was wide open. The handle had been removed and there were marks where it had been prised open. That's when she said she noticed things were missing. As well as the laptop, TV and PlayStation 3, thieves also took an iPad, games, an electric guitar, meat from the freezer and an ice box.

The laptop, as well as containing photos and videos she had taken of her grandchildren, was also a means of communication with her daughter Tania, of Kaitaia.

She said the kids would Skype their mum every night.

Police were unable to comment on the burglary yesterday.