THIEVES broke into a family home and stole presents from under the tree early on Sunday morning in a callous act just days before Christmas.
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Kiara White, who lives in Whiteman Place in Windradyne, was away from her home for just over an hour when someone kicked in her front door and helped themselves to presents under the tree, as well as cash and jewellery inside the house.
The thieves broke in at around 12.30am on Sunday when Ms White, feeling unwell, went to Bathurst hospital.
She returned to find the door kicked in and her house pulled apart.
“I locked the house up when I left, and when I got back the front door had been kicked in.
There was wood everywhere [from the door],” she said.
“In the lounge room there was wrapping paper all over the ground. They had actually gone through the presents to see what they wanted and what they didn’t want to take.”
The thieves had made their way through the house, going through the bedrooms and emptying drawers all over the floor.
They eventually made off with the presents, plus $500 in cash and a jewellery box filled with jewellery, some of which had enormous sentimental value.
Ms White said she was appalled that someone would steal children’s Christmas presents.
“To take money and jewellery is one thing, but to actually go through the presents like that and steal what is obviously a child’s present, I just don’t know how someone could be so low,” she said.
Among the presents stolen, she said, were an expensive petrol remote control car, DVDs and a Pandora bracelet.
Ms White said the thieves left behind presents such as clothing, which they clearly weren’t interested in because they couldn’t be sold for money.
She said the $500 in cash, which was in the jewellery box, had been put aside for presents for extended family, including young nieces and nephews, who had asked for money for Christmas.
Also inside the jewellery box was a gold ring, belonging to Ms White’s partner.
It had been given to him by his grandmother, who is gravely ill at present.
Ms White said the break-in had really rocked the family.
“We’ve only been here about 12 months, and it’s not a great area to live,” she said.
“We’ve already had problems – my car has been scratched and a car window was smashed, and our garage has also been broken into.
“But what happened on the weekend makes me feel sick.
“To steal Christmas presents is beyond low. We cannot replace them, so it’s going to be a pretty terrible Christmas.”