Watch: Two offenders target Greenlane liquor store with an axe and hammer

Video footage has emerged of two offenders targeting a liquor store in the central Auckland of Greenlane yesterday, where one staff member was hit with an axe before the offenders stole cigarettes and cash.

The two-minute security footage of the robbery shows a car pulling up in front of the Super Liquor Store on Great South Rd about 11am, as two hooded offenders run into the store carrying weapons.

One of the returned to the car and brought back a supermarket crate. The pair ran back into the car two minutes later carrying the full basket and drove off.

While this was going on, a staff member from an adjacent business attempted to accost the attackers with a broom, while a police car pulled up on the side of the road but was unable to stop the car before it drove away.

The two offenders left their phone and one weapon behind. Photo / John Murphy

Two offenders targeted a Greenlane liquor store, taking cigarettes and cash. Photo / John Murphy

NZ Police confirmed details of the robbery in a statement to the Herald: “two men left a phone and weapon behind and were caught a short time later”.

“The two men entered Super Liquor on Great South Rd armed with weapons and assaulted the store staff member who managed to escape before serious injury,” a police spokesperson said.

“The two offenders have stolen various items before escaping in a stolen vehicle that was located a short time later.”

Inquiries into the robbery are continuing.

A staff member told the Herald: ”[Another staffer] was sitting behind the counter and they jumped over the counter and started hitting him, luckily he was able to get out the back of the store.”

“He was lucky he got out of the back of the store otherwise they would have kept hitting him. They hit him on his hand with an axe. He got a scratch on his hand - luckily it’s not so deep to get stitches.

“He was also hit on his back, so he has some pain there, as well.”

He said the offenders had damaged the cigarette cabinet and the till. They made off with between $200 and $300 cash.

A staff member at a liquor store in the central Auckland suburb of Greenlane was hit with an axe before the offenders stole cigarettes and cash.