The lockup had a hatch with a bolt behind a door, Hamish said.

“It would be very hard to find.

“I’ve run through it in my head and talked to my mates about it, and just because they hit the property above, I don’t think it was targeted at me.

“I think they hit the jackpot with what they found at mine.”

He said the offenders took hedge trimmers, mechanics’ tools, a grinder, drills and three socket sets.

“The total bill for the insurance company is probably going to be close to 10 grand,” he said.

Material items and tools can be replaced, but Hamish is most concerned by how this break-in has affected his children.

“Trauma to kids and kids not feeling safe in their own house is what upsets me the most,” he said.

“Both the kids were afraid and we had to have that conversation which as a parent you don’t really want to have.

“As far as the stuff that has gone, yeah it’s a hassle. But it’s replaceable. But little kids’ memories aren’t.”

A police spokesperson said several items were taken from the Selbourne St address early on Sunday morning.

“We’re making inquiries.”

David Williams is an Auckland-based multimedia journalist who joined the Herald in 2023. He covers breaking news and general topics.

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