A male wearing black and carrying a large knife is captured on CCTV footage at Brookfield Superette. Photo \ Supplied

Dairy owner recounts terrifying attack

Author: Kiri Gillespie, NZ Herald,
Publish Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2018, 1:23pm

A third aggravated robbery in as many as three years has become too much for a Tauranga dairy owner who now wants out of the business she loves.

On Saturday night, Brookfield Superette was targeted by a masked man in black wielding a large knife and demanding money. Dairy owner Baldish Kaur was working alone and ran into a back room as soon as she saw the weapon. The offender unsuccessfully tried breaking into the till, fleeing empty-handed soon after.

Kaur escaped unharmed physically, but the ordeal has left her broken and disillusioned.

Back at work yesterday, Kaur said she had struggled to sleep since the attack.

"It was very stressful," she said.

"My family are very worried about me. They ask me not to stay alone, to have someone here with me, so my family will help but still ... I have to stop that happening to me."

In the time Kaur opened the shop three years ago, she has been targeted three times.

"The first time with a gun, the second time with hammers and third time with a knife."

Kaur bounced back after the first two attacks because she loved her job, talking with people and providing a service to the community. But not anymore.

"This is shocking for me. Why do I have to have this happen again, again and again?

"If something happened to me, who will look after my family? My youngest is 11 years old."

Brookfield Superette owner Baldish Kaur is keen to sell up and move on after suffering her third aggravated robbery attempt in three years. Photo/file

Kaur has two other sons and a daughter, one is a local builder and the other two are at university. They miss her cooking so much, she makes them meals and couriers them the universities, she said.

"I like to talk to people and I like to spend time here but I want to sell this business and spend time with my family.

"My family have no holidays because I'm stuck here. I can't leave my employees here alone and my family don't want to go on holiday without me. But I'm here every day, every year. It's long hours and not easy."

The attack follows a similar attempted aggravated robbery in Whakatane on Friday where a man entered the Allandale Superette with a large knife, demanding money.

Again, the shop assistant was not harmed and the man left empty-handed. The offender was described as of medium height, stocky build and about 30 years old. He wore a blue hoodie and light-coloured pants.

A police media spokeswoman said the incidents did not appear to be linked and enquiries were continuing into both cases.