Smash-and-grab burglary
A Wellington jeweller has been targeted by thieves twice in two weeks, losing a ‘‘considerable’’ amount of rings, chains and watches in the latest robbery.
Lloyd Kelly Jewellery in Riddiford St, Newtown, has been in business for about 30 years.
Employee Odette AnscombeSmith said she was devastated by the smash-and-grab robbery about 4am yesterday.
She was the first person at the scene to find the store had been left in pieces, with glass and jewellery scattered and smashed everywhere.
‘‘It was just carnage. A sledgehammer had just smashed through all the boxes and there was glass everywhere.’’
The store’s CCTV footage showed two people breaking in with a sledgehammer, smashing cabinets and scooping up whatever they could while the alarm was sounding.
Anyone who saw a large amount of jewellery being sold online should contact the police, she said. ‘‘They don’t deserve this.’’
Owner Lloyd Kelly said he was ‘‘half-expecting’’ something to happen.
Yesterday’s robbery was not the first time the store had been targeted. On April 8, a man was caught on CCTV, trying to enter the store with a pick axe.
Kelly did not blame the Newtown community, saying people just targeted jewellery.
It was too soon to say how much money the business would have lost but a ‘‘considerable amount’’ of jewellery and watches was taken, he said.
For now, the glass in the door needs to be replaced, the cabinets need to be fixed, and the store will be closed until after Easter.
Yesterday morning, people from the community were already stopping at the store to ask what happened and offer to watch the shop overnight.
Kelly said he really appreciated the Newtown community. He had also been contacted by another jeweller offering support.
A police spokeswoman said a ‘‘large amount’’ of jewellery was stolen during the burglary. Police were investigating both the successful and attempted burglary.