Family grieving over double loss
A rural Cambridge family was grieving the recent loss of a family member when their house was burgled, possibly by two men who cased the place while borrowing a petrol can.
A pet’s ashes, a funeral memorial book, sentimental jewellery and guns were some of the items stolen from the O’Dwyer household – just two days after the funeral of Kathy O’Dwyer’s mother Trish Russell.
Noel and Kathy O’Dwyer and their three children aged 10, 8 and 6 were still mourning O’Dwyer’s mother when they found their bedroom and office ransacked.
Four laptops and two iPads, on which all of their family photographs were stored, were also stolen.
Prior to the burglary on August 30, two young men had knocked on the door at 6am asking to borrow their phone because they had allegedly run out of petrol.
‘‘They did all the right things. They bought the petrol can back, they were polite, they just looked like two young fellas,’’ said O’Dwyer.
After the robbery had taken place, they ran some checks. Noel phoned their service provider and discovered that no call had actu- ally been placed at the time.
‘‘It happened on a week that had been particularly tough. I’d been dealing with mum’s estate, closing her accounts, booking her cemetery plot and I just can’t waste anymore time thinking about people like them’’, said O’Dwyer.
On the day of the burglary, the house was filled with flowers and sympathy cards, and service pamphlets lay on the table.
‘‘They knew what they were doing, they knew this [death] was recent. ’’
Noel’s mother died last year and the couple had her jewellery tucked away to give to their children when they were older, but it was taken along with their wedding bands, engagement rings and jewellery given to them by O’Dwyer’s late mother.
‘‘I had this little paua jewellery box that I’ve had since I was five and it had a broken leg, so it would just be biffed. They can’t even give it to their girlfriend,’’ she said.
In that box was also a sapphire set she got for her 21st. Three of Noel’s guns were stolen – two shotguns and a .22 rifle – but the thieves didn’t take any ammunition. He wanted to warn others so it could be prevented.
‘‘Just be aware, pay attention to what they look like and dial the number for them yourself,’’ he said.