THEY say lightning doesn’t strike the same place twice, but unfortunately the same can’t be said for thievery.
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On Tuesday morning, April 14, Darren Robinson was visited by police telling him that his 2006 Nissan Navara had been ‘involved in an incident’.
The car was found rolled and burnt out on Cedar Party Road. It wasn’t insured.
“I’m finding it very hard to get a loan at the moment to get another car,” Darren said, explaining he is a veteran who has been retired due to suffering from PTSD, and is living on a pension.
“The only thing I was able to salvage was the tow ball and the roll bar,” he said.
Thankfully a friend has generously come to the rescue and loaned him a vehicle for the time being.
Sadly, this isn’t the first time Darren has been the victim of heartless thieves.
Darren, who saw two tours in East Timor, had been left devastated in 2011 by the theft of his war medals and precious military memorabilia, including original medals from the Great War and 303 rifle bayonets.
These were never found or returned, and the theft of his car has again left Darren feeling dispirited.
Darren is an active voluntary community member, which makes the crimes against him seem crueller. However Darren didn’t ‘volunteer’ information about his community involvement; it only came to light after digging around in our archives.
He was the president of the Wingham sub-branch of the RSL for 2013-2014 and is currently a member of the Kendall sub-branch.
In addition, he was the president of the Wherrol Flat Cricket Club for two years, and was instrumental in organising the club’s Pink Bat days to raise funds for the McGrath Foundation. He was also one of the first joint presidents for the United Cricket Team.
Now, as well as being involved with the Kendall RSL, he is also a member of the Wingham Men’s Shed and the Wingham SSAA Shooting Club.
While being interviewed, Darren received a call from the police, saying there was nothing to report on the case.
If you know anything about the theft and destruction of the car, please call the police on 6552 0399.