Men Hasten After Shotgun Blast

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30316, 17 December 1963, Page 18

Men Hasten After Shotgun Blast

(New Zealand Press Association)

TAURANGA, December 16. A shotgun blast hastened three men on their way as they fled after being found on the premises of Barretts store, Omokoroa, near Tauranga, at 4 a.m. today. After they were warned that there were intruders in the store, the brothers, Messrs John and Graham Barrett, went from their homes to the building. Graham Barrett was armed with a shotgun and as he and his brother drove up to the store three men burst out a side door that had been jemmied open.

Mr Graham Barrett said: “As the three men made off up the road I called to them about four times that if they didn’t stop I would fire. "They didn’t halt, so I fired. I don't think any of them were hit but it helped their speed along." The brothers said the men. they believed them all to be young, ran along the highway and then went on to farming land. A van parked in a nearby side road and converted earlier from Waihi and believed to be used by the three men was immobilised by the Barretts. When a Tauranga police officer arrived at the scene a brief but fruitless search for the three men was undertaken. Small change and notes valued about £3O were taken from the store. It was not the first time that the Barrett brothers had been called out to deal with intruders in the store. In a previous incident some men were arrested at a road block near Katikati after

they were disturbed in the store. A Tauranga garage and a Gate Pa hardware store were broken into during last night and an attempt was made to enter another garage. Cigarettes and change were taken from the garage and a small wrecking bar believed to be taken from the hardware store was found outside the Barretts store. The owner of the van taken from Waihi travelled to Omokoroa to recover his vehicle today.