More British Tourists Robbed, No Gold For New Plymouth

Earlier today we wrote about honeymooning couple Simon and Sabine Greenslade whose campervan was robbed of outside of Auckland Zoo, losing most of their holiday and honeymooning photographs amongst other possessions.

We’ve also heard about another young British couple, Jake Graham and Jess Kelly,whose campervan was also broken into and who lost almost everything they owned in New Plymouth yesterday afternoon.

The theft is reported in the Taranaki Daily Times, who reported that the couple had been touring around NZ for the past eight months.

They had parked up at the Rogan St playground, opposite the New Plymouth Racecourse, at around 3pm yesterday so that they could go for a walk in Pukekura Park.

When they returned an hour later they discovered that everything they needed for spending a year in NZ had gone – including passports, back packs, clothes and even their air tickets.

Matt Rilkoff, writing for the Taraknaki Daily Times, quoted the couple saying

“We have parked in some pretty dirty places but this car park seemed safe. It felt like a supermarket car park and you wouldn’t even think that your car would get broken into there,” Ms Kelly said. “It’s all changed now.

“We don’t feel safe to stay in our van any more, that’s one thing.”

Senior Constable Grant Kennard said most of what was taken would be worthless to anyone but Jake and Jess.

It was likely that much of it had already been dumped. Mr Kennard said the van was broken in to between 3pm and 4pm. Anyone with information should call New Plymouth police on (06) 759 5500.

Fortunately some kind soul offered them a bed for the night.

It’s a shame  that they too didn’t receive the Gold Medal Service afforded to the member of the  American rowing team.

Thefts from tourist campervans and cars are incredibly common in New Zealand, is enough being done to warn visitors of the risks they are taking?

Other stories you may find interesting

Honeymoon couple lose precious photos, no ‘gold medal’ in Auckland

US rowing team member  robbed, world rowing championships 2010 in Queenstown

Czech Tourist, Jan Fakotor, Stabbed In Motueka

English tourist mugged in Gisborne

Chilean tourist punched, robbed in Nelson

A group of students that were beaten and robbed whilst on a treasure hunt at the Hundertwasser toilets in Kawakawa, Northland

A series of random, unprovoked attacks in Queenstown

Previous robbery of British tourists at Kerosene Creek

Tourists robbed at Kerosene Creek

Three French tourists beaten and robbed in their campervan in Mangamuka, Northland - police have yet to resolve this crime

A family of Swiss tourists that were assaulted and racially abused in Kaitaia, Northland

Anke Kuballa and Marc Busch from Germany who were robbed in Whangarei, Northland

A family of five robbed at the roadside whilst camping in their van at Oturere Stream, 25km south of Turangi

Two German tourists attacked in Paihia, Northland

Two American tourists were robbed at Shipwreck Bay in Northland whilst sandboarding

Asian woman, (probably Japanese) age 22, raped in her room by 2 teenagers in a home invasion in Opotiki, Northland

Three Chinese tourists attacked and robbed at Te paki, 90 Mile Beach, Northland, by two men they’d stopped to help

French tourist Anthony Cressend, beaten and robbed at campsite in Ahipara, Northland

Two Australian tourists robbed at knifepoint for their holiday money in Te Puke, SE of Tauranga.

Japanese tourist age 23 (female) kidnapped, robbed and assaulted in Rotorua by four men

French tourist (male) raped at gunpoint near Opotiki,

American peace corp twins Adam and Alex Rahmlow, 21 were robbed of all their possessions by a man they tried to help in Amberley, Christchurch.

Dutch couple raped and robbed on a campsite in Tuatapere, NW of Invercargill, whilst on their honeymoon. (Dutch govt. issued a travel warning about NZ)

Two Koreans were attacked and robbed of their possession which included a laptop computer by a man claiming to be a gang member in Blenheim.

British tourist worker sexually assaulted near Hururu Falls, Northland when she was dragged off a walking track.

Canadian tourist Jeremie Kawerninski, kidnapped, assaulted and robbed in Lower Hutt, Wellington

Dutch couple robbed and sexually attacked Haruru Falls, Northland whilst on honeymoon.

Two British women robbed and raped in their campervan at Tokomaru Bay, north of Gisborne.

Japanese tourist subjected to a prolonged and brutal sex attack in a communal area of a backpacker’s hostel in Turangi, Taupo.

Scottish woman Karen Aim brutally murdered by a youth in Taupo.

German woman Birgit Brauer murdered near New Plymouth.

Korean man Jae Hyeon Kim decapitated with a spade by white supremacist.

Japanese tourist robbed at gunpoint in Oamaru.

Irish cycle tourist Paul Mack bashed, robbed and urinated on throughout his NZ tour.

6 English and Danish tourists attacked and stabbed in Cashel Mall, Christchurch for having “foreign accents.”

Irish man Robby O’Brien beaten up in Westport.

Russian couple Denis Khotchenko and Lera Nesterova beaten and robbed in Milford, Auckland

English woman knifed and sexually assaulted in a toilet block at an A1 motor camp in Kaikoura

American campers Patrick Dykstra and Kelsey McGinley beaten and robbed at Whangarei Falls, Northland.

Australian tourist sexually assaulted on a street in broad daylight in Nelson.

Australian tourist subjected to a sex attack by Maia Crawford Rongonui whilst walking home to a backpackers in Christchurch.

Canadian tourist left with a fractured skull outside Silver Fern backpackers in Taupo.

Dutch tourist beaten and robbed at Lake Rotorua.

British man Paul Speakman and his young son beaten and robbed in a campervan at Athenree Gorge, Katikati.

Chinese woman attacked for speaking Chinese on a train approaching Petone.

Scottish visitor Stuart Martin who was left in a coma and with a boot print on his face after a street bashing in Taradale, Christchurch.

Five Arrested In Kaikoura Mob Attack

Yesterday we mentioned that some arrests had been made following the savage attack on a group of young men who were visiting Kaikoura on a fishing trip on Friday .

Today the press is publishing details of the arrests, so far at least five people have been charged out of a group of around thirty men who set upon the visitors.

A NZPA press report on Stuff said that

“Rangi Ramana Petira Clayton, 21, Joshua Larry Boyd, 17, Kieran Howden, 18, Samuel Lee Patrick O’Connor and Luke Brian O’Connor faced charges of assault with intent to injure and unlawful assembly when they appeared in Blenheim District Court on Saturday.

They were remanded in custody to appear in Kaikoura District Court on December 17.” Read the full article here

The attack was condemned by the town’s mayor who is reported as having said that this wasn’t the first time that visitors to the town had been attacked:

“Kaikoura Mayor Winston Gray said the incident was not the first against visitors and the community needed to help stamp out violence. He was disappointed so many people were involved in the incident.

“There must have been some amongst them that thought this is not right. Where were they - were they all so alcohol or drug-affected that reasoned judgment had totally gone out the window? Banter between groups of males is one thing; these actions, however, cannot be condoned.

“These young men need to realise that they actually do not own this town.”

Who does ‘own this town?’ why did the rule of law fly out of the window during the early hours of Friday 12 November.

Why were there up to thirty drunken or drugged young adults on the streets at that time of the morning in such a small community, and how could such a massive affray gone unchecked with such disastrous consequences, not least to the reputation of this town?

Read  posts tagged Alcohol and Drugs

Honeymoon Couple Lose Precious Photos, No ‘Gold Medal’

A couple honeymooning in Auckland didn’t have the same Gold Medal rapid response that an American rowing team member got just three days later, when they too were burgled hours before leaving New Zealand.

British newlyweds Simon and Sabine Greenslade were married in August in Germany and had been honeymooning in New Zealand. At the end of their holiday they parked outside of Auckland Zoo and it was there that their campervan was ransacked on 6 November, the last day of their honeymoon – according to a report in the NZ Herald.

During the robbery the couple lost a laptop and iPod with their wedding photos, shots of their NZ holiday and months of Mr Greenslade’s programing work were taken from their van.

Coincidentally the unnamed American sportsman also lost a laptop and iPod in his burglary.

Unfortunately there was no gold medal for this couple, they got a clunker. The Herald said:

An appeal to police in the aftermath of the theft didn’t produce any results, says Ms Greenslade.

“They simply gave us a crime reference number and left it at that.”

The young couple had to get back to the UK with the help of the motorhome company, who replaced some of their missing belongings.

The news of this robbery has filtered out in the hope that the couple may retrieve some of their lost photos, which are obviously irreplaceable.

We wish them good luck with that, although their chances are pretty slim ten days after the event, ‘miracles’ have been known to happen.

Wouldn’t it be splendid if all tourists who experienced loss or crime in New Zealand got a gold medal response. Not just those who have a high profile internationally.

Also read:

US Rowing Team Member Robbed, World Rowing Championships 2010: 9 November 2o10

“The United States rowing team has just had an unpleasant brush with New Zealand’s spiralling crime problem.

On Saturday a member of the team had a number of personal items stolen after the World Rowing Championships at Lake Karapiro.

A Police press released managed to turn what could’ve been a PR clunker into a  ‘gold medal’ news story for the police (and New Zealand) when they apprehended the young burglars responsible and returned the stolen goods to the rower just minutes before he left the country:

“After speaking to management at the teams’ hotel, police tracked the stolen iPod, laptop and other belongings to three brothers aged 14, 15 and 17, who admitted the theft.

More stolen property was also found at an Otorohanga property, 58km southwest of Hamilton in the King Country.

Police contacted a man in Otorohanga who admitted receiving the laptop and “it was explained the significance of the theft and the damage to this country’s reputation and he agreed to bring it into the Hamilton Police Station.

“From there an aunty of the offenders helped Police recover the victim’s camera, the US team left Hamilton yesterday about 6pm for an 11pm flight and we needed to get all the property recovered, documented and back to the victim. Time was against us and there’d be no ‘B’ final if we didn’t make it.”” Smith (Ed. Sergeant Dale Smith of the Hamilton Proactive Policing Team) said.” Read more here – police win race to return rower’s stolen property

We particularly liked the section that said

“It would be fair to say that while the rest of the country is celebrating the achievements of our teams on the water the team in blue delivered a gold medal performance as well in terms of New Zealand’s reputation of a safe, friendly place to visit.”

Well done to the police for working with the community and relatives of the thieves to bring about a successful conclusion to this sorry event. But, if New Zealand was that safe the rower’s hotel room wouldn’t have been burgled in the first place, would it and he would have left the country with only fond memories? If only other tourists could’ve been so lucky!”

Other stories you may find interesting

Czech Tourist, Jan Fakotor, Stabbed In Motueka

English tourist mugged in Gisborne

Chilean tourist punched, robbed in Nelson

A group of students that were beaten and robbed whilst on a treasure hunt at the Hundertwasser toilets in Kawakawa, Northland

A series of random, unprovoked attacks in Queenstown

Previous robbery of British tourists at Kerosene Creek

Tourists robbed at Kerosene Creek

Three French tourists beaten and robbed in their campervan in Mangamuka, Northland - police have yet to resolve this crime

A family of Swiss tourists that were assaulted and racially abused in Kaitaia, Northland

Anke Kuballa and Marc Busch from Germany who were robbed in Whangarei, Northland

A family of five robbed at the roadside whilst camping in their van at Oturere Stream, 25km south of Turangi

Two German tourists attacked in Paihia, Northland

Two American tourists were robbed at Shipwreck Bay in Northland whilst sandboarding

Asian woman, (probably Japanese) age 22, raped in her room by 2 teenagers in a home invasion in Opotiki, Northland

Three Chinese tourists attacked and robbed at Te paki, 90 Mile Beach, Northland, by two men they’d stopped to help

French tourist Anthony Cressend, beaten and robbed at campsite in Ahipara, Northland

Two Australian tourists robbed at knifepoint for their holiday money in Te Puke, SE of Tauranga.

Japanese tourist age 23 (female) kidnapped, robbed and assaulted in Rotorua by four men

French tourist (male) raped at gunpoint near Opotiki,

American peace corp twins Adam and Alex Rahmlow, 21 were robbed of all their possessions by a man they tried to help in Amberley, Christchurch.

Dutch couple raped and robbed on a campsite in Tuatapere, NW of Invercargill, whilst on their honeymoon. (Dutch govt. issued a travel warning about NZ)

Two Koreans were attacked and robbed of their possession which included a laptop computer by a man claiming to be a gang member in Blenheim.

British tourist worker sexually assaulted near Hururu Falls, Northland when she was dragged off a walking track.

Canadian tourist Jeremie Kawerninski, kidnapped, assaulted and robbed in Lower Hutt, Wellington

Dutch couple robbed and sexually attacked Haruru Falls, Northland whilst on honeymoon.

Two British women robbed and raped in their campervan at Tokomaru Bay, north of Gisborne.

Japanese tourist subjected to a prolonged and brutal sex attack in a communal area of a backpacker’s hostel in Turangi, Taupo.

Scottish woman Karen Aim brutally murdered by a youth in Taupo.

German woman Birgit Brauer murdered near New Plymouth.

Korean man Jae Hyeon Kim decapitated with a spade by white supremacist.

Japanese tourist robbed at gunpoint in Oamaru.

Irish cycle tourist Paul Mack bashed, robbed and urinated on throughout his NZ tour.

6 English and Danish tourists attacked and stabbed in Cashel Mall, Christchurch for having “foreign accents.”

Irish man Robby O’Brien beaten up in Westport.

Russian couple Denis Khotchenko and Lera Nesterova beaten and robbed in Milford, Auckland

English woman knifed and sexually assaulted in a toilet block at an A1 motor camp in Kaikoura

American campers Patrick Dykstra and Kelsey McGinley beaten and robbed at Whangarei Falls, Northland.

Australian tourist sexually assaulted on a street in broad daylight in Nelson.

Australian tourist subjected to a sex attack by Maia Crawford Rongonui whilst walking home to a backpackers in Christchurch.

Canadian tourist left with a fractured skull outside Silver Fern backpackers in Taupo.

Dutch tourist beaten and robbed at Lake Rotorua.

British man Paul Speakman and his young son beaten and robbed in a campervan at Athenree Gorge, Katikati.

Chinese woman attacked for speaking Chinese on a train approaching Petone.

Scottish visitor Stuart Martin who was left in a coma and with a boot print on his face after a street bashing in Taradale, Christchurch.