A Dawesville grandmother has been left heartbroken and reduced to tears after thieves stole her family jewellery collection.
The 68-year-old, who didn’t want to be named for security reasons, said she wasn’t only robbed of her treasures but of her precious memories.
The woman and her 70-year-old husband were holidaying in Augusta for four days, when thieves capitalised on their absence.
The duo came back to find their house “turned inside-out”.
The woman said every room and cupboard had been rummaged through.
“They must have been here for a while. They knew what they were doing,” she said.
Among the valuable and sentimental treasures stolen was jewellery that had been in the family for more than 150 years, and three large and extensive coin collections.
Stolen items included a sum of cash the woman had saved to surprise her husband with a cruise in celebration of their 50th wedding anniversary.
Dawesville residents of 11 years, the pair considered the area to be safe.
The thieves had broken into the home on Monday, December 4, by smashing the laundry window.
Pained by the loss, the woman said it was a tough time for the family ahead of the festive season.
A neighbour, who was watering the couple’s garden while they were away about 2pm that afternoon, was the first one to notice and alert police to the situation.
The woman said she was a wreck when she heard the news.
“I couldn't breathe. I could comprehend it. I just burst into tears,” she said.
The woman said she was left devastated the “heartless” thieves stole a gold bangle her godfather gifted her when she was born and pieces from their children’s first haircut.
The only jewellery she has left is two bangles, her wedding ring and a pair of earnings. All of which she was wearing during her holiday down south.
Saddened by the news her 11-year-old grandson made her a bracelet out of lackey bands for her.
The woman has urged locals to make a plan before they go away for extended periods of time.
She said since the incident she has tried to come up with “handy home hints” for people to implement so their house isn’t an obvious target.
The woman said one of the give-aways that the couple had gone on a trip was that their caravan, that can be easily seen from the street, was gone.
She suggested talking with neighbours about parking each other's vehicles in different driveways, to throw potential robbers trying to scope out each home.
