Sleepless nights are now the norm for a Carterton woman who lost thousands of dollars' worth of jewellery, including her wedding ring, when a burglar invaded her home.
The woman, who did not wish to be named, said she came home after work two weeks ago to discover her wedding, engagement and eternity rings, as well as other valuable jewellery and electronic items, had been stolen.
Police believed the burglar had climbed over the back fence and broke into the house through a bedroom window, which had been left ajar but locked.
The burglar had rifled through her jewellery box, taking some of the more expensive pieces, before going into her 13-year-old daughter's bedroom, emptying her schoolbag and stealing her iPod.
Since the burglary the woman had trouble sleeping and her daughter was scared of being alone in the house, she said.
"Initially she didn't want to be home alone or go to bed on her own and she kept thinking that there might be people coming back."
It was horrible to think the burglar had photos of her daughter, which were stored on an iPhone which was also stolen.
And after more than 20 years of marriage, her wedding ring had meant a lot, she said.
"We worked really hard for what we've got. We are just normal average people with normal jobs getting average pay and why should someone be able to come and steal from you?"
The loss of her jewellery, while gutting, was not as bad as the intrusion into her family's private life.
"It's just the most awful feeling and I actually just wanted to get out of our house - which we built 15 years ago - and I just feel like our privacy has been invaded.
"It's just awful to think that someone's been in there and unless you've had something like this happen to you, you don't understand," she said.
"You feel funny about it - you do feel quite yuck."
