The Cairns Post

Family’s savings wiped by theft

Child’s piggy bank among targets for thieves who stole $2000

- GRACE MASON grace.mason@news.com.au editorial@cairnspost.com.au facebook.com/TheCairnsP­ost www.cairnspost.com.au twitter.com/TheCairnsP­ost

LISA Smith’s three-year-old daughter Charlotte keeps asking her why someone would smash her little pink elephant piggy bank.

The mum-of-three has no answers for her child.

The Bentley Park family has been left devastated after thieves broke into their Robert Rd home on Monday afternoon, stole the savings for their October wedding, the contents of the children’s piggy banks and a wallet containing passports and travel documents.

The thieves managed to smash their way in through a deadlocked door during the day.

“It’s just mindless,” Ms Smith said.

“What do you do to keep your house safe these days except build your house up like a fortress?

“It’s just upsetting when you work so hard and do so much to put money aside for a wedding.”

She and partner of five years Michael Douglas had been planning to wed in October – a small ceremony with 40 friends and family at Holloways Beach.

Their plans are now in tatters and they are considerin­g postponing it as they start saving again.

The couple had amassed about $2000 cash from engagement party gifts and their own savings, which the thieves stole.

The family was due to leave on a cruise next month and is also facing the cost of replacing three passports which will be about $1500 to have them ready in time.

Ms Smith said this was the third time in as many years she had been broken into, in three different addresses.

She was 38 weeks pregnant when someone broke into their home as she slept, and stole her keys and her car.

Prior to that, when she was living in Gordonvale, they caught an offender taking items off their kitchen table.

Cairns property crime squad detective Sergeant Dan Bramham said they were investigat­ing the incident and called for anyone with informatio­n to come forward.

IT’S JUST UPSETTING WHEN YOU WORK SO HARD AND DO SO MUCH TO PUT MONEY ASIDE FOR A WEDDING.

LISA SMITH

 ?? Picture: STEWART McLEAN ?? SHATTERED: Michael Douglas and Lisa Smith with their three-year-old daughter, Charlotte Douglas, showing what’s left of her piggy bank after thieves broke in to their Roberts Rd home and stole about $2000 in cash.
Picture: STEWART McLEAN SHATTERED: Michael Douglas and Lisa Smith with their three-year-old daughter, Charlotte Douglas, showing what’s left of her piggy bank after thieves broke in to their Roberts Rd home and stole about $2000 in cash.

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