Attacked as he slept
‘‘I don’t think they realised I was in the car and I’m sure if they did, I would have become the actual target.’’
Graham Jackson
Thugs have attacked a homeless man’s van as he slept inside with his pooch.
The Te Aroha community are now rallying to help Graham Jackson who has been left with no wheels and nowhere to sleep.
Jackson, 54, and his pup of six years, Sandy, were sleeping inside his white van parked behind the Te Aroha Library early Monday.
He’s been dossing at the spot on and off for the last 10 months, moving between Te Aroha, where his father is ill in hospital, and Katikati, where he works a seasonal orchard job.
As he drifted into slumber about 1.15am, Jackson was jolted by the sudden shatter of glass.
‘‘It was like a shotgun going off. Next thing the left hand rear window was smashed, then the front one went.
‘‘I was being attacked.’’ Jackson froze, grabbing his terrified dog. Behind the cardboard he had used to board up the windows and block the light into his mobile home, Jackson lay still while his thoughts raced.
‘‘I thought they were going to open the door and grab me and try and rob me. I could actually be killed here.’’
After smashing almost every window of the car with what’s believed to be a hammer, everything fell silent and the attackers had fled.
A group of German tourists who were sleeping in their car about 10 to 15 metres away had heard the commotion, but thought it was fireworks going off for Guy Fawke’s.
Jackson is puzzled as to why someone would take such action.
He’s been parked in the spot for two weeks solid with no trouble.
‘‘I don’t think they realised I was in the car and I’m sure if they did, I would have become the actual target.’’
His van now has $3000 worth of damage and is no longer allowed on the roads.
‘‘Now I have to try and get myself another vehicle or I can’t take on the employment, I needed that transport.’’
Locals have rallied for Jackson, giving him a place to stay at the local Mountainview Church and providing him with meals, while Erika Wihongi has set up a Givealittle page.
‘‘It’s horrific what they would do to him. We’re all keeping an eye on him and making sure he’s all right.’’
Jackson reported the crime through the buzzer at the local police station around 10am the next day. Police arrived about four or five hours later.
Waikato police Senior Sergeant Mike Henwood confirmed police were investigating but there was no CCTV footage available from the area, or any descriptions of those involved.
Born and bred in Te Aroha, Jackson began sleeping in his car a few years ago.
He’s been offered a few houses in the past but they all had a no pets policy, he said.
‘‘There’s no way I’m parting with my dog.’’
He’s had the jack russell since she was born.
There’s a waiting list for accommodation through Work and Income, he said, that prioritises women and children. He doesn’t mind, as he fits all his possessions in the back of his van.
‘‘That vehicle was also my home, all my possessions are in the back, I don’t own a lot, just the things I need.’’