'It’s soul-wrenching': Bullish burglars target gardens

Roger and Maree Watts look at the spot where their prized bird bath was ripped from the ground. Photo: Geoff Sloan

By Geoff Sloan

Christchurch couple Roger and Maree Watts have painstakingly cared for their prize-winning garden for years.

But their pride and joy has been left in tatters by a burglar who wrecked the garden and stole sentimental items.

“It’s soul-wrenching,” Roger told The Star.

Roger and Maree were asleep when the burglar climbed over the fence at their Randolph St home in Woolston - and wreaked havoc.

Nearby resident Stuart King, 68, suffered a similar fate.

A man wearing a mask was captured on a CCTV security camera climbing his fence at 4.28am on the same day.

The burglar stole flower pots and ornaments from his garden, which has been awarded Christchurch Beautifying Society certificates.

And metal gates were also stolen from a property on Macworth St in the early hours of the same morning.

Fernando, a $4900 handmade metal bull sculpture, was stolen from the Portstone Garden Centre. Photo: Portstone Garden Centre

Other thefts in the area over recent weeks saw the Portstone Garden Centre lose a $4900 metal bull sculpture called Fernando.

The two brazen thieves wheelbarrowed the sculpture away in the mid-afternoon on a Sunday when the centre was open.

And two people broke through a fence at Te Waka Una School in Ferry Rd and stole outdoor items, including a children’s vegepod.

A picnic table and several outdoor storage bins were also taken from Te Waka Unua. The large items were removed over a number of nights.

Woolston residents are so concerned about crime a meeting has been scheduled with police at the Woolston Club for Tuesday, March 18.

Roger and Maree Watts. Photo: Geoff Sloan

Roger said he and Maree were “absolutely gutted”.

Roger and Maree Watts' prize-winning garden. Photo: Supplied

He said the thief took a large flowerpot urn that belonged to his late mother, which had huge sentimental value, several pot plants and their prized bird bath centrepiece.

The couple’s Christchurch Beautifying Association cup winning garden was their pride and joy.

Said Maree: “People used to come past and compliment us on the garden.”

The Christchurch Beautifying Society recognised their hard work by presenting them with community pride garden awards every year.

Visibly upset, they told The Star they didn’t feel safe in their home of 25 years anymore.

“We’ve always felt safe up until now,” said Maree.

She said she suffered from respiratory problems, including a recent spell of pneumonia.

Worried the callous thief might return, the couple have put most of their remaining flowerpots and garden ornaments indoors.

“I’m frightened they’re going to come back and finish the job,” said Maree.

The Watts say they intend to grass over the holes in their lawn, and won’t replace the stolen flowers and ornaments.

“We don’t want any more hassles,” said Roger.

Stuart King’s outdoor cane furniture, concrete pot plants and ornaments were stolen. Photo: Geoff Sloan

Recovering from a major back and hip operation, Stuart King said the theft was the last thing he needed.

“I’m so shattered, I feel completely devastated.”

He thinks there may have been at least two burglars, because of the weight of the items stolen.

Portstone owner Chris Smith said security cameras captured two people wheeling the distinctive large handmade bull ornament out of the garden centre and down Ferry Rd.

He said he was disappointed with the daylight theft, especially as it had taken the artist 80 hours of work to sculpt the “one-off” piece.

Police told The Star they have been unable to identify the culprits.