Sunnybank Hills couple terrified after home invasion, $60k robbery

A southside couple have told how they woke up to find their home ransacked, $60,000 in family heirlooms stolen and their passports and credit cards thrown into a pool in an overnight break-in.

Sunnybank Hills couple Ruma and Sushant Sathpathy were robbed of $60,000 in jewellery in an overnight home invasion.

A retired couple celebrating 25 years at their southside Brisbane home have spoken out about waking to find more than $60,000 worth of family heirlooms missing, passports and credit cards thrown in their pool and their back door wide open.

The couple said the upcoming wedding of their son had been marred because family heirlooms they planned to pass on to their son were among the items stolen.

Ruma and Sushant Sathpathy said they watched a movie on Friday, May 24, and went to bed about 1am after locking their doors as they usually did.

Mrs Sathpathy said they were now left violated and anxious after waking to find they had been broken into while they slept in a house they thought was secure.

“When I woke up at around 5am on Saturday our drawers and dressers were wide open with so many items missing,” Mrs Sathpathy said.

“They stole more than $60,000 of jewellery that can’t be replaced, as it was passed down to me from my grandmother and mother.

“My handbag had been opened and $300 of cash was missing, along with our passports and credit cards.

Mrs Sathpathy said she ran downstairs to see what else might have been taken after waking up and realising what had happened overnight.

Mr Sathpathy has a heart conditon and his wife is now concerned for him. Picture: Supplied

“To my surprise our passports and credit cards had been thrown in our swimming pool,” she said.

“When I woke up and called my son he joked about me getting older and getting confused in the night.

“The lock to the back door had been tampered with and had been unlocked from the outside.’’

Mrs Sathpathy said she suspected she and her husband might have been sprayed with a substance to ensure they did not wake up, as she was a very light sleeper and heard nothing all night.

“I am a diabetic and usually get up to use the bathroom two or three times per night and I’m a very light sleeper,” Mrs Sathpathy said.

“My son was in the next room and both our bedroom doors were open.

“I can’t imagine how else we didn’t wake up if the person was in my bedroom going through our things.’’

The couple called police who inspected their Sunnybank Hills home the next day after the robbery.

“Unfortunately I turned off my CCTV cameras a while ago because they would buzz and beep if a butterfly flew past them,” Mrs Sathpathy said.

The couple's passports and credit cards were thrown into their swimming pool.

“Police were unable to retrieve any footage from houses in the street that showed a person entering our home.

“We have now spent a lot of money for great cameras that will be put all around the house.’’

Mrs Sathpathy said the incident had been devastating for her family.

“My husband had triple heart bypass surgery recently, so if they’d woken him I don’t know if he would have survived the shock,” Mrs Sathpathy said.

“I am terrified to go to sleep or be in the dark. This has never been the case for me.

“I intended to pass down jewellery to my son’s soon-to-be wife at their wedding soon but now it has all been taken.

“It has been an emotional and scary few days. This house has been our home for 25 years and nothing like this has ever happened before.’’

A police spokesman said investigations were continuing.

“Police are appealing to anyone who may have seen anything suspicious around the area between 1.30am and 6am to come forward,” he said.

Originally published as Sunnybank Hills couple terrified after home invasion, $60k robbery