Darwin restaurateur Jimmy Shu ‘crumbled’ after finding Hanuman had been robbed … again

DESPITE opting to arm himself and sleep in his own business, Hanuman owner Jimmy Shu only had to leave for a few hours on Saturday night to find his restaurant raided for a fourth time

Jimmy Shu owner of Hanuman Restaurant has had enough after his restaurant was broken into again. Pic Katrina Bridgeford.

UPDATE: Despite opting to arm himself and sleep in his own business, Hanuman owner Jimmy Shu only had to leave for a few hours on Saturday night to find his restaurant raided for a fourth time.

In a horrifying week for the retailer, Mr Shu said he was at a complete loss of what to do after becoming a repeat target for CBD thieves.

Mr Shu had to leave the restaurant to work at the India@Mindil event on Saturday evening. When he returned to find his business broken into again, Mr Shu said he was devastated.

“On entering, low and behold, it was smashed again,” he said.

“I couldn’t believe it. I just sort of crumbled.”

He said the thieves were repeat offenders and were smashing in to get alcohol.

“We looked at everything and looked at the footage,” he said.

“I’m asking myself, is this a joke or is this an insult to NT law and order? It is the latter.”

Mr Shu said that while he was talking to the police in the early hours of yesterday morning a brazen would-be thief tried to walk back in.

“The police jumped out and asked to look in his bag and guess what, our grog was in there.”

Police arrested the man.

Mr Shu said he had armed himself with knives from his kitchen while sleeping in the restaurant but was cautioned by police not to use any force.

“I was told if ‘you hurt somebody entering your premises, you are going to be charged and not that person’,” he said.

“But I’m running out of options and I’m now terrified going back into my own place.”

He has estimated the current costs from this week’s crime spree would easily exceed $8000 and that he would have to invest further funds into increasing security.

EARLIER: Popular longtime Darwin businessman Jimmy Shu is armed and waiting for the next time booze craving thieves smash their way into his award-winning Hanuman Restaurant on Mitchell St.

Yesterday was the final straw for Jimmy who has armed himself with these razor sharp knives after his restaurant was hit for the third time in a week.

He says if happens again there is a welcome party planned.

“I am sleeping at the restaurant and I will be waiting with my two very sharp friends. They’ll be more help to me than the police,” Jimmy said.

“I don’t care. If I have to go to jail I will go to jail defending my place … bugger it, I have had enough.

“I am very, very shi**y. I am losing thousands of dollars and no-one in authority seems to care … least of all the police and the Territory Government. Whatever the Territory Government is doing is not working.

“All I get from the police is fill in this piece of paper. Nothing is done to stop these thieves who are smashing their way into my business to steal grog.

“I am at my wits end. I have been here more than 30 years and it has never been as bad.

“Every time they smash one of our windows the bill is in the thousands let alone the stock they steal.

“The Hanuman has become their private after hours takeaway bottleshop.”

Mr Shu describes himself as a peaceful man but the time has come for people to take matters into their own hands.

“What else can we do,” he said.

Mr Shu said he heard that a vigilante meeting was taking place on Monday and he was thinking about joining.

“Business in Darwin is in diabolic trouble already without this ongoing destruction further hurting their finances,” he said.

“You have to build a fortress to keep the criminals out.

“The Government should be doing more to get these people off our streets.”

Mr Shu said throughout the business community he hears talk from owners who say that want out of Darwin.

“I’m telling you my days here are numbered too,” he said.

“Darwin was such a beautiful place when I first came more than 30 years ago. Business deserves better protection than this.

“It is a joke to talk about bringing Chinese tourists to town and this is happening on our streets.”