Ruatoria farm again victim of arsonists

Press, 6 May 1988, Page 2

Ruatoria farm again victim of arsonists

Arsonists ran amuck on Ruatoria’s Matahiia Station on Wednesday night, burning down five farm buildings, destroying vehicles and equipment, and dealing a double blow to the owners, Jeremy and Jane Williams. The Williams are now afraid to leave their new home which was built just 18 months ago after arsonists destroyed the original family homestead. Wednesday’s midnight attack claimed the woolshed, shearers’ quarters, accommodation block, kitchen, dining room, ablution block, hayrakes, tractor and other farm equipment. Ruatsfria fire-fighters

managed to save a sixth building, where the tyres on a vehicle parked inside had already started to smoulder. The attack has stunned the young couple, although it came as no surprise. “It is always in the back of our minds,” said Mr Williams yesterday morning. “These guys seem to know all our movements. “The shepherd was away for a family funeral — they must have known there was no-one there." The attacks always seemed to be made while buildings were unoccupied, said Mr Williams. “What worries us is that one day they will a

mistake and burn a house with someone still in it.” Things had been fairly quiet around Ruatoria until the last few weeks. “They seem to have left us alone since the night we got married,” said Mr Williams. But in recent weeks the policeman’s house in Ruatoria had been burnt down while he was away. The latest fires bring the total number of arsons in the Ruatoria district to about 35. A Gisborne police team, already in Ruatoria investigating the arson of a police house in the township four weeks ago, was sifting through the rubble at Matahiia station yesterday.