Burglars fail to get proceeds of appeal

Press, 23 February 1987, Page 1

Burglars fail to get proceeds of appeal

A safe containing about s46|o in cash and cheques was stolen from the Canterbury Sheltered Workshop in Kilmarnock Street, Riccarton, at the week-end. However, the burglars failed to get what was presumably their prime target — almost $70,000 raised in a mystery envelope appeal on Friday. Mrs Rosemary Carr, the executive director of the Canterbury Sheltered Workshop Association, said that she could only assume that the appeal money was what the burglars wanted, but it was safe in Trustbank Canterbury’s vaults. The burglary was between 6 p.m. on Saturday and 3.30 p.m. yesterday when it was discovered by Mrs Carr., She said that the burglars apparently entered a back door and made their way to the safe “through locked doors ail the way in.” About six doors had been smashed and would need complete replacement, she said.

The intruders then broke their way out a side door, having loaded the heavy safe into a wheelchair to carry it to their vehicle. The wheelchair was left at the gate. It was a floor safe, of about two cubic feet capacity, and would have taken “at least two adult men to lift,” said Mrs Carr.

“It looks as though we will have to go to the expense of an alarm system,” she said.

Mrs Carr had gone to the workshop yesterday to look up the figures for the appeal for release to the news media today. The provisional total was $67,417, which had yet to be checked by the bank, she said.

The net takings after the prize payout, GST, and other expenses would be shared between the sheltered workshop and Cashmere High School, whose pupils “provided the legwork” for the appeal. They should get $ll,OOO each, said Mrs Carr.