Far North housing charity issues heartfelt plea to thieves who stole portable cabin

Eric Monk and his sister Sharee Tito in happier times, soon after the portable cabin was delivered to whānau land for Eric. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Far North housing charity Whare to the Whenua is appealing to the thieves who stole a vulnerable man's portable cabin to "do what's right" and return it.

Kaikohe-based Whakamanamai Whānau Trust director Rhonda Zielinski, who runs the Whare to the Whenua scheme to help Northland's homeless, said there have been numerous sightings of Eric Monk's cabin since it was stolen from ancestral Māori land in Waitangi on May 1.

However, it still hasn't been recovered.

Monk had been renting the cabin for six months while trying to get his life back on track after years in and out of prison.

An old white transit van was seen towing his 6x3-metre cabin, containing all of his belongings, out of the Tahuna Rd papakāinga development at around 8pm.

It is believed to be an "inside job".

"They have stolen someone's home with everything in it," Zielinski said.

"If you needed help we would have gladly helped you.

"You did not need to steal the portacom of a person who was homeless when we met him.

"If anyone knows something please kia kaha, be courageous...do what's right."

Whare to the Whenua director Rhonda Zielinski is appealing to the thieves who stole Eric Monk's portable cabin to "do what's right." Photo / Michael Cunningham

The theft was reported to the police soon after it was stolen on May 1.

Zielinski said she has received numerous "positive sightings" of the cabin between Kawakawa and Whangārei.

"We've had overwhelming support from the public in helping track movements of the cabin, we have an address and we're waiting for police to action it."

A police spokesman said, "Inquiries are continuing to progress around recovering the portacom."