The Star: February 15, 2018

The Star Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Thursday February 15 2018 15
News
Pensioner tricked; house burgled
• By Sophie Cornish
AN ELDERLY woman was
tricked into handing over
keys to a campervan, which
was then used in a burglary to
“completely clear out” a North
New Brighton home.
Ina Livingston, 89, felt something
was not right when she
was persuaded to give the keys
to her daughter and son-in-law’s
campervan.
Mrs Livingston was told
by the man in his 20s, who
knocked on her door, that Peter,
Mrs Livingston’s son-in-law, said
he could borrow the van.
He persisted, coming back a
second time to say he’d just been
on the phone with Peter, who
said he could take the van.
Mrs Livingston and her
daughter Leslie are unsure how
the man knew Peter’s name.
Within two hours of the van
being stolen, it was used in a
burglary of a house in Royalist
Ave, North New Brighton.
The burglars were there for
40min.
Homeowner Shane Aitcheson
said everything that could be
taken, was taken.
“The whole place was a rubbish
tip, they had not left one
thing unturned or looked at.
They had gone through the
fridge, freezer, the pantry; they
had taken the dirty washing.
They took everything.”
He believes belongings to the
value of $20,000 were taken,
including snowboard, surfing
equipment, power tools and all
of their clothing.
“Imagine you don’t have
any more clothes,” said Mr
Aitcheson, who had to buy
new clothes for work on Monday.
A neighbour witnessed the
campervan entering the property
and another neighbour
caught CCTV footage of the van
on the street.
To make matters worse, a
dispute with their insurance
company means Mr Aitcheson
and his partner are not likely
to receive contents insurance,
STOLEN: Leslie and her
husband Peter with their van
Lucy which was stolen after
Leslie’s elderly mother was
tricked into handing over
the keys. It was caught on
CCTV in Royalist Ave prior to
a burglary.
when they were told they were
covered.
They are now seeking legal
advice.
Police have taken fingerprints
and said there are no confirmed
sightings of the van yet.
There is no connection between
the two parties.
Leslie said the van, named
Lucy, was “like a moving bach”
to her and her husband.
“We’re really attached to it
. . . we go away in it all the time,
it was stocked with food, dishes,
bedding, our tramping boots,
books.”
Local
News
Now
• By Bridget Rutherford
Fire rages, homes at risk
Casino drives
157-space
car park plan
CHRISTCHURCH Casino plans
to transform an empty central city
site into a temporary 157-space
car park to service its patrons and
nearby businesses.
It has applied to the city council
for resource consent to landscape
and operate the car park at 56-72
Salisbury St, next to the temporary
one at 373 Durham St North.
It will back onto the casino’s current
car park on Peterborough St.
The casino bought the vacant
land in September from the Martin
Coffey Estate for $3.7 million.
It is seeking consent to operate
the car park for five years until
a future use for the site is determined.
In its resource consent application,
the casino said the temporary
car park would cater for its customers,
and spaces would be leased
to nearby businesses.
Some spaces would be available
for public use.
It has also lodged resource
consent with the city council to
develop a 200-room hotel, with a
car park, eateries, conference space
and shops on the Peterborough St
car park site.
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