THREE men using axes, and in one instance brandishing a shotgun, went on a rampage in the central Shoalhaven in the early hours of Tuesday, smashing their way into four businesses.
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The trail of destruction started at the Cooee Hotel at St Georges Basin shortly after 1.30am, moving to the Basin View General Store and then two businesses at Wandandian, property conveyancers Southern Property Transfers and the Bluedog Country Cafe.
The group were last seen heading south on the Princes Highway after being disturbed at Wandandian by a detective returning to Nowra from Ulladulla, who spotted a man running across the car park of the Wandandian complex.
Despite giving chase, the detective was unable to catch the vehicle.
In each case the thieves used axes to smash their way into the premises, before stealing items including two charity donation containers, ransacking the properties and at the cafe actually setting a storeroom on fire.
Cooee Hotel publican Garren Wilson and his business partner Janelle Seymour are facing a damage bill of around $10,000.
“Three men smashed their way in through a side door, and the CCTV footage shows them splitting up to target various areas of the hotel,” Mr Wilson said.
“One went to the kitchen area and put an axe through an $8000 till in an attempt to open it, another went to the bar area, smashed and stole alcohol and even took two charity donation containers from the bar area, one for a young local we are trying to get a wheelchair for and the other for the RFS.
“They took to the ATM with the axe, trying to open it.”
At the Basin View store, three men tried to break into the building, taking to security doors with an axe.
The doors stood firm despite being struck eight or nine times, however alarms were activated with CCTV footage showing the group running towards Tallyan Point Road.
“Thankfully they didn’t gain access, but have left a damage bill including a smashed front window,” said owners Gary and Robyn McNamara.
“They even tried to jemmy open the locks to try and gain access,” Mr McNamara said.
Such was the ferocity of the attack that a number of sections of the security screening on the doors were cut.
The group then headed to Wandandian where they broke into licensed conveyancer Leah Payne’s property Southern Property Transfers, managing to open a safe, which was empty, and then ransacking the office.
Staff members Kylie Bettington and Liam Christian were left with a massive clean-up job after the glass in both front doors was smashed and the office trashed with files strewn about and desk draws upended.
Next door at the Bluedog Country Cafe, owner Maralyn Moseley, despite losing a small amount of cash, a new flat screen television that was still in the box, was lucky a fire set in some paper in the storeroom area didn’t take hold.
Quick action by the RFS and Fire and Rescue NSW Nowra brigade limited the damage.
“It could have been so much worse if the fire had taken hold,” she said.
“I think we were lucky they were disturbed by the police officer heading back to Nowra from Ulladulla.”
Forensic police have attended all four businesses gathering evidence, while detectives have also viewed CCTV footage.
Anyone with any information about the break-ins should contact Shoalhaven detectives on 4421 9699 or Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000.
TUESDAY morning’s crime spree – four robberies in less than an hour – has again prompted calls for a permanent police station to be established in the Bay and Basin area.
“We need something down here, definitely more police,” said Basin View General Store owner Gary McNamara.
“We waited for two-and-a-half hours on Tuesday morning after the attempted break-in for police to arrive. In the end we gave up and decided to meet them at 6am.
“Police told us they were inundated with jobs and couldn’t get to everything.
“We need something down here in the Bay and Basin, be it a full-time station or just more police patrolling the area.
“The crooks seem to know when the police are at their weakest and strike then.”
Labor Candidate for South Coast Fiona Phillips has launched a petition to convince Minister for Police and Emergency Services Stuart Ayres to implement 24/7 policing for the Bay and Basin.
Mrs Phillips said every community has a right to feel safe, and have access within reason to 24/7 policing.
“For people in the Bay and Basin area, the nearest permanent 24/7 police station is at Nowra, at least a 30-45 minute drive. The police station at Nowra has minimal staff at night and covers a huge geographical area,” she said.