Shotgun raid traumatises bar staff

Two shotgun-wielding bandits wished their victims a merry Christmas yesterday before fleeing the scene of their stick-up on a motorbike.

Three staff members were cleaning up at New Plymouth’s Treehouse Restaurant and Bar about 1.15am when two offenders wearing helmets, gloves and dark clothes entered the bar with a shotgun and demanded cash.

Nobody was injured in the robbery but the three staff were left seriously traumatised, Detective Sergeant Brent Matuku said.

‘‘It was a traumatic welcome to Christmas for the staff members,’’ he said. ‘‘It was lucky the offenders were controlled in their aggression.

‘‘There was no real violence, other than the obvious violence of having a shotgun pointed in your face.

‘‘The staff will never forget it.’’

As the bandits left they told their victims the money was ‘‘for our Christmas’’, Matuku said.

‘‘Then they said merry Christmas and added a couple of expletives before they took off.’’

He said the robbery had definite elements of having been preplanned.

Treehouse

owner

Grant Schwieters praised his staff for averting a tragedy.

He said the amount of cash taken was quite small, despite the pub enjoying a busy Christmas Eve.

‘‘It had been busy, but these days a lot of it is eftpos.

‘‘They’ve done a major crime for little reward. Thank God it didn’t end in tragedy.’’

He was full of praise for the way his staff handled themselves. ‘‘They did everything they should have and handled it really well – they’re heroes really.’’

Matuku said the offenders took off on a motorbike, heading west.