Craig Hodgkinson had his truck with his tools and digger stolen on March 25 while he was checking out a job. Photo / Supplied
Craig Hodgkinson had his truck with his tools and digger stolen on March 25 while he was checking out a job. Photo / Supplied
An Auckland drainlayer's faith in humanity has been shattered after his truck and digger - his "livelihood" - were stolen opportunistically.
Titirangi-based Craig Hodgkinson had toiled away over the past three years to build up his business, and after a hard year with Covid-19 lockdowns was just getting back up on his feet again.
As he arrived at the Eastern Beach home of a new client last week in east Auckland, he parked the truck in the drive - as he usually would - jumped out and went around the back of the house to inspect the job.
A few minutes later when he returned, the truck was gone.
He'd left the keys in the ignition, something he says he feels awful about but which he had never previously thought twice about.
"Obviously I wish I hadn't done that now but I've always done it, and it was in the drive, we were so close, I just didn't think anybody would steal it.
"I was in shock. I think I am still in shock. We were only gone a couple of minutes.
"This is my livelihood, how I make my money, without it I am back at square one.
"I just can't imagine what this would be worth to them."
Auckland drainlayer Craig Hodgkinson and partner Dayna Rutherfurd of Titirangi. Photo / Supplied
Hodgkinson had worked in the drainlaying industry the past two decades for a small company. After that owner retired he decided to give it a go himself.
He started off borrowing gear off friends and eventually started earning enough to buy his own truck and digger.
Since the start of Covid-19 business had been tough, and he'd been looking to make savings wherever he could, including pausing his insurance payments with increasingly high premiums.
The Bobcat 323J digger and Isuzu Elf 2006 that were stolen in Eastern Beach, Auckland, on March 25. Photo / Supplied
Consequently, he is looking at a loss of about $40,000 to replace the gear.
His partner Dayna Rutherfurd said she was worried for Hodgkinson, as the business was "his livelihood".
"He is broken, he can't even hand dig as his spade and wheelbarrow were on the back.
"He had taken so much with him as the job was so far away it's just made it worse.
"He feels like he has lost his identity. Everything he has worked for and it is a very helpless and hopeless feeling right now.
"He is a lovely man, works hard for his clients and his friends, gives up his weekends and his time for people in his life. It's hard to see him so broken."
