A trailer and equipment were stolen from a workshop in Rotorua.
Rotorua electrician Mark Coker likes to have faith in people.
Unfortunately, being targeted by thieves at the weekend has him questioning that faith.
About 1am on Sunday, thieves broke into a shed, which Coker uses as a workshop for his business Mark Coker Electrical, and stole an estimated $50,000 worth of equipment.
The items stolen also included a child's kayak and a pram, as well as his trailer, which the thieves loaded with the equipment and attached to their car.
The car and trailer were caught on security cameras but the car's number plate cannot be distinguished.
"They cut the lock on the shed, then used bolt cutters to remove the trailer lock, they left without the trailer first then came back to get it loaded with my stuff," Coker said.
"It wouldn't be worth anything to anybody unless you're an electrician. I guess you have faith in people a little bit and now this, it feels like they've attacked you and you can't retaliate."
Coker has been an electrician for 25 years and has owned his own business for the last 2-1/2 years.
The trailer stolen from a workshop on Pururu St, Rotorua. Photo / Supplied
He said this theft was tough to take as the owner of a relatively new business and would take him nearly "back to square one".
"It's gutless in my opinion, to come in when no one's there. I've still got my tools and my vehicle, so I can still work, but it's all the accumulated stuff and it sets you back.
"Like everyone I guess, you feel like your space has been intruded on, it is very invasive."
Coker said the theft had taken an emotional toll as well as financial.
"It's the full impact of it. It's the end of the month so I still have to go home and do all my paperwork, I can't just sit down and focus on it.
"It just grows and grows, it doesn't stop, and it's quite mentally tough. I just shut down last night, I wasn't good for anything, it's the anxiety and the stress. It's not what you need, it's not healthy, and it's hard to just walk away and say 'it is what it is' but that's what I have to do."
Thieves filled Mark Coker's trailer with electrician equipment before stealing the lot on Sunday morning. Photo / Supplied
Coker is talking to his insurer and has reported the incident to the police, giving them his security camera footage. He said other businesses in the area were helping with their own footage as well.
He encouraged anyone who saw or knew anything about the theft to let the police know.
"The police have been really good, they're looking into it. All that gear has to turn up somewhere. Some of it will probably get chucked out because they don't know how valuable it is, it's no good to them.
"I've had a lot of support from all the businesses in the area, we got lots of little bits of footage. I think everyone is sick of this sort of thing happening."
Anyone with information on the incident can call police on 105 and quote file number 210628/3463.
The items stolen from Coker include:
Precott trailer and cage, number plate: 41R18 Milwaukee nail gun Milwaukee jigsaw Milwaukee hammer drill Milwaukee battery charger Milwaukee wet vac Milwaukee vacuum Milwaukee packout - large 2x Milwaukee packout - small AEG Mitre saw and table Milwaukee socket set 1/4 JBS 3/8 socket set 1/2 inch socket set 2x Teng Tools torque wrench Torque wrench WIHA Torque screwdriver HP Laptop FLIR thermal camera E60 20 inch mags and tyres set Power logger Kids' kayak Mountain Buggy pram Omron 5.5kW VSD 2x 2.2kW motor 630amp circuit breaker Work stool gear wrench PortaPower Hand tools Kerrick parts Makita parts Go Media parts
