Stolen medals returned in secret
Ian Jones thought he would not see his stolen war medal collection again.
Thanks to an anonymous delivery, the Christchurch man has the priceless World War II and Fire Service medals back.
‘‘I was over the moon,’’ he said. Jones was buying his wife a Christmas present on December 18 when a burglar raided his Redwood home.
The thief took both Jones’ and his father’s fire service medals, most of his wife’s jewellery – including an engagement ring and a 40-year anniversary ring – a coin collection, a ring left to Jones by a friend, foreign currency and digital cameras. He’d planned to pass them on to his son.
Several days later, police arrested Joshua Lukic, 30, in relation to the burglary. None of the stolen items were found until Friday, when someone anonymously dropped off five of the medals at Christchurch Airport. The medals, including two World War II medals, were then handed to police, who returned them to Jones.
He hoped the rest of the stolen jewellery and his uncle’s New Zealand Memorial Cross, given to the family after he was killed fighting at El Alamein in 1942, would be returned.
‘‘We’ve lost a lot of jewellery. I’ve been married 42 years – you buy your wife bits and pieces over those years and you can’t replace that. She gave me two watches, one for 25 years’ marriage and one for 40 years, which might mean nothing to everybody else but she gave me a gold watch and that means a hell of a lot to me.’’
Detective Sergeant Damon Wells said anyone who knew where the other items were should contact their local police station.
‘‘Obviously there are some still missing and I’d like to think that whoever has the remaining medals and the engagement ring to just hand them in. It’s not worth anything to them, but it’s worth a lot to this guy.’’
Lukic entered no pleas when he appeared in the Christchurch District Court charged earlier this month charged with burglary. He was remanded to appear again on February 5.