Two stores robbed in 10 minutes

Two men have been charged after they allegedly robbed two New Plymouth stores in the space of 10 minutes earlier this month.

On November 4, it is alleged the Pizza Hut in Bell Block was targeted about 9.15pm, before the accused pair are said to have travelled to Big Barrel New Plymouth, at Waiwhakaiho.

It is alleged the duo then robbed the store, with the crime reported about 9.25pm.

Detective Constable Julia Ray confirmed two men, a 27-year-old and a 32-year-old, had been arrested and charged with both robberies.

Court documents show that about $500 was alleged to have been taken during the Bell Block robbery, while $236 in cash and $80 worth of alcohol was stolen from Big Barrel.

The two men are due to appear in the New Plymouth District Court on December 15.

Charges filed in court also show the 27-year-old accused is facing another robbery charge, in relation to an incident in New Plymouth on October 1, where it is alleged he stole cigarettes and alcohol valued at $476.

Pizza Hut Bell Block owner Ashwani Kumar said the incident at his store had been ‘‘quite a scary situation’’ for his staff to handle and one they never expected to see happen in Taranaki.

‘‘The manager on duty was shaking when I went to the store 30 minutes after the incident,’’ Kumar said.

‘‘He had been brave to keep it [the alleged crime] to the front and did not let the aggravation affect the other staff members inside the store who were busy making pizzas and doing cleaning at the back.’’

Kumar said cash stolen in the alleged robbery was the complete takings from that night’s trading.

On Monday, dairies across Taranaki and New Zealand closed for two hours to highlight worries over rising crime.

The action came after the alleged murder of Auckland shop worker Janak Patel, who died after being stabbed during a robbery.

Kumar, who also owns the Pizza Hut store in New Plymouth, said alleged offending like this was ‘‘putting people off to open their shops or business to operate later in the evening’’.

While he was in the process of organising staff training about what to do in future, should either of his stores be targeted, he said a better plan was needed across the board to tackle crime, including robberies, ramraids and physical assaults.

‘‘The manager on duty was shaking when I went to the store 30 minutes after the incident.’’

Ashwani Kumar

Pizza Hut Bell Block owner, left