Two teens charged following spat of Lismore business break and enters
Lismore businesses battling to recover from record floods have allegedly been burgled by offenders so “young and so small they squeezed between the bars” securing a shop’s window.
Police & Courts
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A pair of Lismore boys aged as young as 12 have been accused of taking part in a youth crime spree which targeted flood-affected businesses.
NSW Police allege the 12 and 17-year-old were involved in a spate of burglaries in the area between April 18 and May 7.
It’s alleged the two teens were part of a larger group which knocked over Just Ride Cycles, Sportspower, Lismore City Bowling Club, a Liberty Service Station and the Lismore Golf Club.
Golf carts, bicycles, and sporting equipment were among the goods lifted from the affected businesses, according to police.
Sportspower Lismore owner James Reeves said $30,000 worth of stock was stolen during three break-ins in six days.
“They actually were so young and so small they squeezed between the bars on our windows,” he said.
Mr Reeves said the business lost everything in the floods because it was not insured, which is not uncommon in Lismore due to the cost of cover.
He said Sportspower was forced to borrow money to get the business back on track.
“It’s the lowest of the low to steal from local, family owned flood affected businesses,” he said.
“It’s just abhorrent.”
Police allege the two teens taken into custody were involved in all five break-ins.
Police arrested the 17-year-old East Lismore teen at a Wyrallah Rd home on May 10 and allegedly found goods suspected to be stolen. The 12-year-old boy was arrested the next day.
Mr Reeves said after some of the stolen sports equipment was returned he “could not be happier” with the work of the Richmond Police District police officers from Lismore.
But Rachel and Jason Sipple, owners of Just Ride Cycles, said they were not so lucky and police have so far been unable to find bikes stolen from the store.
Their shop in East Lismore was broken into two nights running in April. They have been burgled four times since May 2022.
Bikes valued at about $11,000 were stolen and offenders caused about $9000 of property damage. Insurance only covered some of the losses.
Ms Sipple said she was happy with the police response and that officers arrived within minutes of being alerted to the incidents.
However, she said the burglaries were devastating, doubled insurance premiums and traumatised their family.
The Sipples and their kids undertook round the clock “shifts” at the shop to prevent further thefts until security was upgraded
They barely slept for days on end and lost out on business while they picked up the pieces.
“How do you trade when he shop’s a mess?” Ms Sipple said.
“We can't build bikes or sell bikes when first of all they’ve been stolen and second of all there’s glass everywhere.”
Lismore State MP Janelle Saffin met with senior police to “explore what more could be done” after speaking to impacted businesses,
“I find it reprehensible that this would happen to our local businesses and even more so after all they have been through,” she said.
“We should be thanking them not robbing them.
“We need all our businesses to be up and running and to feel safe.”
It’s believed up to six individuals were involved in the youth burglaries in total.
Mr Reeves said he hoped the crime spree would come to an end now that police have arrested some alleged perpetrators, and after a boost in shop security.
“I don‘t think it’s fair to say Lismore has a crime problem. I think it’s a small number of connected individuals,” he said.
“I like to think that this puts a bookmark at the end of this little spate because the police have acted so quickly.”
Mr Reeves said businesses in town were taking notice and upgrading their security systems “to ensure that it's easier for the local police to apprehend these individuals, if they should choose to try and do it again”.
The accused will be dealt with under the Young Offenders Act.
Know more? Phone Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
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