A Canberra parish has been targeted for a second time in less than a year, with thieves stealing more than $1,500 in supermarket vouchers for the needy and bashing a parishioner who intervened.
Just nine months ago, about $3,000 worth of donations were stolen during a break-in at the historic St Thomas Aquinas Church on Lhotsky Street in Charnwood.
Long-time acolyte Bill Fitzpatrick says the church put in a safe following the first break-in, but that didn’t stop thieves from taking donations again just before Saturday’s evening mass.
“They've come in — they're very smart — they know how to crack a safe,” he said.
“They've cut a hole. I don't know how they did it, with a laser or what. But they've got in there, taken all the Woolworths cards.
“I just couldn’t believe it.”
The gift cards had been purchased by the St Vincent de Paul Society, using more than $1,500 of parishioner donations, and stored at the parish office ahead of distribution to families in need.
“We service about 150 families around … Flynn, Fraser, Charnwood, Dunlop and Macgregor, and a bit of Latham,” he said.
"There's the money that our parishioners give to help the people that live in this area, gone."
'Give me your car keys'
An elderly parishioner on his way to the 6pm service noticed the garage door to the parish office had been busted open, and he confronted the perpetrators.
“The perpetrator of the crime … said to our church member, ‘give me your car keys’,” Mr Fitzpatrick explained.
“Our guy says, ‘you’re not getting my keys!’ and with that, he swung a right fist across his face and knocked him down.
“[He’s a] 74-year-old gentleman.”
Mr Fitzpatrick says three young people driving past at the time saw what happened and rushed to help.
The offenders left the scene on bicycles and the injured man was taken to hospital.
“So, the bloke didn’t lose his car, but he nearly lost his teeth,” he said.
As for the office building, Mr Fitzpatrick says the damage is “quite significant”.
“When you look at all the drawers and desks, and the vandalisation in the secretary’s office, all the doors that have to be replaced, including the garage door out the front,” he said.
But he says the church community is determined to keep the faith.
“We had a BBQ after church this morning … and one lady came up to me and shoved $100 into my hand. That’s what people do,” he said.
ACT police attended the scene on Saturday afternoon and are investigating.
Anyone who witnessed the incident, or who has information about the offenders, is urged to contact CrimeStoppers, while Canberrans who see suspicious behaviour are being asked to call triple-0 rather than trying to intervene themselves.
