Guard attacked with hammer in Mt Roskill jewellery store robbery speaks out

Security guard Jit Singh was bashed in the head by armed assailants during a thwarted aggravated robbery at a Mt Roskill jewellery store. Photo / Dean Purcell

A security guard bashed in the head by armed assailants in a thwarted aggravated robbery on Sunday hasn’t told his parents in India about what happened.

It was only his second shift as a part-time security guard at the Sona Sansaar jewellery shop in Tulja Centre on Stoddard Rd in Mt Roskill when five offenders came into the store and attacked Jit Singh.

Footage seen by the Herald shows an offender hitting Singh in the head with a hammer.

An armed robber hits a security guard in the head during an attempted robbery at Sona Sansaar jewellery shop.

Singh, 34, is a Masters student from India, and had taken on the security job against his family’s wishes because they believed it would be too dangerous.

“If they found out what happened, they would ask me to go back to India immediately,” Singh said.

Singh worked at the store for the first time about a month ago.

He was only there on Sunday because another security guard had called in sick.

“The shift was 11am to 4pm, and it was almost 4 o’clock and I was counting down to the end of my shift,” he said.

“I was waiting for the jewellery store staff to tell me that I could go, but suddenly I realised that a car had stopped at the entrance and then I saw a few people running towards me with hammers.

Police at the scene of an attempted armed robbery at Sona Sansaar jewellery shop in the Tulja Centre on Stoddard Rd. Photo / Hayden Woodward

“It took some time for me to realise that it was a robbery, but even before I could react I was hit in the head really hard by one of them.”

The offenders tried to break into the jewellery store’s reinforced glass but were unsuccessful.

Singh said he fell and “blacked out for a moment” after he got hit, but got back on his feet and rushed out to a safe area at the back of the mall so he could call the police.

“There was just one of me and four or five of them, so I knew if I confronted them I would put myself in danger,” he said.

“I have heard in the news about violent robberies and ram raids happening around Auckland, I didn’t think it would happen to me.”

Singh arrived in New Zealand eight months ago on a student visa to pursue a Masters in Management and told the Herald he did the security work to “get some pocket money”.

He said he was treated by St John for the pain and bruising following the attack, but refused to go to hospital.

“I wanted it to be as low-key as possible because I don’t want the police or anyone to inform my family back in India about what happened,” he said.

“I have confided in my sister and brother-in-law but my mother doesn’t know about this because if I tell her, she will ask me to come back and the fees that I have paid here for my studies will be wasted.”

Singh said he will no longer work as a security guard, and has already found work at a warehouse packaging food.

A police spokeswoman said officers received reports of the attempted robbery at a business on Stoddard Rd just after 4pm last Sunday.

The aftermath of an attempted armed robbery at Sona Sansaar jewellery shop. Photo / Hayden Woodward

The investigation was ongoing and no arrests had been made at this stage, police said.

“A group of four or five offenders approached the store with weapons, not firearms, and were challenged by a security guard, who they subsequently assaulted,” she said.

“Staff in the store had seen this unfold and dropped a security grille, preventing the offenders from gaining entry to the store.”

The offenders tried to smash their way through the door but were unsuccessful and fled in a car, the police spokeswoman said.

“The car was located abandoned a short distance away,” she said.