An Auckland man says he is lucky to be alive after his car repair workshop was held up by a man armed with a sawn-off shotgun.
Danny Dhanak, the owner of the Midas Automotive workshop on Quay St in central Auckland, and one of his technicians were at work early when a tall man wearing grey and black clothes including a hoody, and a red bandanna covering most of his face, came in with the shotgun at about 7.30am.
Dhanak had observed the man driving back and forth in front of the business several times before he stormed in and demanded the keys for another car - Dhanak's black Ford Falcon XR8, worth around $15,000 to $18,000.
The offender did not threaten to shoot anyone, instead making his point with his weapon - whether it was a real gun or a toy, Dhanak wasn't sure
"He pointed it right at me," Dhanak said. "He just showed me. He said, 'I want the car now'. He swore at me a whole bunch of times.