Cairns car theft followed burglary at family home

A Cairns woman whose home was broken into while she slept said while she is angry about the incident which has left her family shaken, she is relieved that no one was hurt.

A CAIRNS family has been left shaken and furious after thieves broke into their home while they were sleeping, stole car keys and valuables on Sunday night before returning to steal a new motor vehicle early on Monday morning.

Whitfield resident Vicky Jones said thieves broke in and ransacked the home on Sunday night when she and her husband were asleep.

Mrs Jones said her 23-year-old nephew Hugh was awake and scared off the thieves.

“Hugh was studying for his TAFE cybersecurity course on his computer,” she said.

“The thieves apparently saw the light and put their heads around the corner of the room and when he saw their faces he gave chase.”

Mrs Jones said her nephew pursued the pair of young men out of the house and down Ponticello St, before losing them in the dark.

On Monday the couple’s daughter Sarah parked her car behind the 2021 model Subaru so it could not be removed while the theft was reported to police.

Then Mrs Jones took the vehicle to a Cairns car service firm where she told them what had happened and asked for the vehicle and spare key to be reprogrammed so the stolen key would be unable to be used.

However, it appears that there was a miscommunication because the car was stolen after the thieves returned either later that night or early on Tuesday morning.

Police are investigating the theft of a motor vehicle after an alleged aggravated burglary in Whitfield.

Mr Jones said the theft has had a big impact on her family who are feeling worried and vulnerable.

“We had to change all the locks on our house,” she said.

“My husband is very upset because his wallet with all his credit cars and ID was stolen and my daughter is furious, as is Hugh.”

But Mrs Jones said she is also relived that none was injured during either robbery.

“I could not bear the thought of anybody being hurt,” she said.

“But I would love to give these thieves a piece of my mind, I would say to them that I don't give two hoots about them, but when they are 40 and might be married or might have tried to change their lives around and then something like this happens to them, I want them to think about what have done to me and to other people.

“Because they will not always be young one day they will see things differently, particularly with Covid around.”

Queensland Police have been very helpful and the community amazing, according to Whitfield resident Vicky Jones whose home was broken into and then her car stolen from her Whitfield address.

However, Mrs Jones said one silver lining has been the response of people who found items which the thieves appeared to have thrown out her car while they were driving it around the city.

“People have been amazing,” she said.

“When the police were here this morning I got a call from some guys from a building site in Bayview who had found some of my things along with my phone number.

“And a couple of blokes who work on the railways found my logbook and RACQ membership near the Freshwater roundabout and very kindly returned it to me.

“Unfortunately police said there were no fingerprints.”

A Queensland Police spokesman confirmed officers are investigating the Whitfield burglary and said they could not comment as this was an ongoing investigation.

Originally published as Cairns car theft followed burglary at family home