Christmas cruelty for Bayfair boy

A small boy was left inconsolable and penniless after being robbed of his Christmas money at Bayfair Shopping Centre in Mount Maunganui last night.

The boy, aged about eight, was shopping for a Christmas present for his mother when the opportunist robber snatched his money bag and sprinted off through the exit doors.


The boy was robbed of his Christmas money at Bayfair Shopping Centre yesterday. Photo: File.

Claudia Kansley, who witnessed the robbery, said it left her 'gutted”.

'I had been watching this teenaged girl,” says Claudia. 'She looked about 17 or 18-years-old and was Maori or Polynesian with orange dyed hair and a red bandana. She was acting really suspiciously.

'I said to myself ‘what are you up to?'”

In a flash, she stripped the boy of his money bag and ran for the exit.

'The wee boy just bawled his eyes out,” adds Claudia. 'He said ‘she took my money' and I said ‘I know darling'.”

Claudia says she tried to console the boy. She adds: 'I told him money can be replaced but at least she didn't hurt you”.

At the time of the robbery the boy's mother was having her fingernails done and the small boy seized the opportunity to buy her Christmas present.

Claudia says: 'I'm not rich, but if I knew who he was I would compensate him. He really needs to know that there are also nice people around at Christmas.”

This morning Bayfair Shopping Centre, along with police, reviewed CCTV security footage and have identified the robber and her accomplice.

And Bayfair officials have also put the boy's Christmas back on track with a shopping voucher so he can buy his mum a present.

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41 comments

Its Christmas

Posted on 12-12-2014 11:52 | By Surfwatch

How these people reconcile their greed and dishonesty with being a member of the human race, I don't know.


Check the security cameras

Posted on 12-12-2014 11:53 | By Annalist

Then publish the photo of the accused. Let's see if we can get hold of the offender. Mind you, the penalty is likely to be something pathetic like community service or a family group conference??


Low Life

Posted on 12-12-2014 11:55 | By Johnney

Where do these scumbag low lifes come from. There must be video footage and she will now have to dye her hair a different colour. Surely someone out there knows this person. Dob them in.


Good Outcome

Posted on 12-12-2014 12:01 | By The Sage

The alleged perpetrator had orange hair and a red bandana, wouldn't be hard to identify. Low life. Should be banned from Bayfair.


.

Posted on 12-12-2014 12:07 | By whatsinaname

gosh there are some horrible people out there. she wont be able to hide from the description given. wish knew how to contact the young lad. would kindly give him a donation.


Nasty thing to do

Posted on 12-12-2014 12:16 | By The Tomahawk Kid

Brains or morals dont grow on trees either as made apparent by the actions of this disgusting person. She will get off lightly no doubt. What a despicable thing to do - to rob a young child of their pocket money - makes me very angry.


NAME AND SHAME

Posted on 12-12-2014 12:39 | By grumph

photo and name of this low life please!!


.

Posted on 12-12-2014 12:40 | By Bop man

This lowlife should be made to publicly apologise to the boy, and then a bit of manual labour as punishment maybe sweeping the bayfair floor with a toothbrush....she needs to learn this sort of thing has consequences. And that there is no place in society for this sort of carry on.


lowlife.

Posted on 12-12-2014 13:05 | By wtf

What a lowlife robbing off the young ones. Well done to Bayfair officials who gave the shopping voucher.


Please post the photo

Posted on 12-12-2014 13:25 | By chatter

These low lifes need to be named & shamed for such a despicable act. Make them pay publicly for the crime they knowingly targeted and committed. The public need to be vigilant and keep an eye out for these opportunist scum who think they are superior by preying on those who cannot defend themselves. Good on you Bayfair for giving the boy back his Christmas cheer.


How sad can u be!!

Posted on 12-12-2014 13:27 | By jipzee

SHAMELESS !!!


bay fair

Posted on 12-12-2014 13:28 | By sharon1

thank you bayfair for giving him the vouchers and to show him people are not all like that horrible person that took his money.


Security

Posted on 12-12-2014 15:45 | By Savi

May be needed on the doors of the mall now to deter the scum preying on innocent shoppers. At the very least this piece of trash should be trespassed from the mall for a very long time as a deterrent.


STOCKS

Posted on 12-12-2014 15:52 | By FunandGames

put them in stocks at Bayfair


Ban gangs.

Posted on 12-12-2014 17:46 | By dgk

Maybe Bayfair should prevent people entering when wearing gang colours or gang patches. This is obviouslly a gang member working on getting full membership.


Scum

Posted on 12-12-2014 18:08 | By Matua/Basrah

As i sit in my armoured veh in Basra reading this,i sometimes wonder if my home and family are safe in Tauranga while i am away....Poor little fulla...you know Tauranga and the Mt are getting worse for low life losers....we all need to keep our eyes wide open for these scum so that they know we are all watching them....Safe Xmas shopping


Publish a

Posted on 12-12-2014 18:11 | By myview

Perhaps sunlive could have a daily page showing photos of scumbags engaging in events like this, can only be of help to police in tracking them down.


Low lifes!

Posted on 12-12-2014 22:02 | By Ziwi32

Today my sister and her friend were waiting at the bus stop to catch there bus home when a girl younger then her says "Hey girl got any money for me to catch the bus home" My sister wasn't very pleased with how she asked but she gave it to her anyway being nice, then her friend the girls friend asked what the time was. My sisters friend pulls her phone out and just about to tell her the time the girl then snatchs her brand new ihpone 5s out of her hand and runs onto the bus. They drop everything and run after the girls who were on the bus but the bus driver waits and does not go until the girls are off the bus, a few other people on the bus get the phone off the girls. this just shows how bad it can be tauranga.:/


Scum

Posted on 13-12-2014 04:23 | By Zack

This person needs to named and shamed - what a coward - a life ban from Bayfair would be a start for punishment - a real dummy also to do this where there are CCTV cameras operating.


Humanity needs help

Posted on 13-12-2014 06:16 | By Conzar

In KSA, she would get her hand cut off. Sounds like that is what everyone in the comments wants. GUES WHAT, punishment doesn't prevent crime. If you want to stop people from stealing, you must get to the root of the problem. Punishment DOESN'T work. We have thousands of years of a system that punishes and thousands of years of crime. No-one here seems to think this person is actually human and may need some help.


DISGRACEFUL.....

Posted on 13-12-2014 08:06 | By Angel74

What happened to working the true and honest way to earn money...... Hopefully the boy who had his money stolen is doing well and he and his family have a fab xmas!!


security people.

Posted on 13-12-2014 11:59 | By Me again

I would have thought bayfair would have beefed up their security at this time of the year. There are a lot of desperate idiots out there who just jump at the chance to do do what that loser did to that boy. Probably doesn't even read the paper to know how the community feels and would just laugh at seeing their photo up at bayfair. Hope the little one is able to do what he was trying to do and has a VERY MERRY XMAS. Your mum will be proud I know I would be Take care next time .


@conzar

Posted on 13-12-2014 14:03 | By morepork

I agree with you that punishment is not the answer. (I have always held that position, because it has been seen to not work and it just makes two wrongs become a right.) The REAL solution to crime is to dissuade people from wanting to do it. Start early. Teach kids that actions have consequences and bad actions have bad consequences for everyone, including the person who did it. I can understand (and to some extent share) the outrage of people posting here at such a mean-spirited opportunistic crime. But torturing the culprit won't help. Make her take responsibility for what she did and get her to see the effects of her action. She should be prepared to spend some time doing an "amends project" for the boy and his family, and, of course, she must repay the money.


Poor boy

Posted on 13-12-2014 16:08 | By Miss Moi

This incident will most likely scar the poor boy so forget feeling sorry for the low life that committed the disgusting offence. He's the victim here. Unbelievable! I hardly think the lads family will want any contact with the scumbag so I hope the photo is published and a decent punishment is dealt out.


Punishment needed

Posted on 13-12-2014 22:20 | By Zack

I am sick of people like Conzar who continually feel sorry for the perpetrator of the crime rather than the victims. This coward needs to be punished.


nice place

Posted on 14-12-2014 00:01 | By Wonkytonk

Well that's what you get with free parking..place full of yobs


@Conzar!!!!!&morepork

Posted on 14-12-2014 06:17 | By Jimmy Ehu

so you would be proponents of the "anti smacking" legislation as well.... yep that works, these kids need help I agree, just help with a very firm consequence , not giving them a cuddle and telling them how wonderful they are.


raven bridger

Posted on 14-12-2014 11:10 | By Tell the truth

The low life that did this is well known to police and Bayfair security, they are running amok in and around the mall but can't be touched cause they are underage, this has been happening for ages, but Bayfair cover it up unless it makes the news, there's a good story here for sunlive, if they talk to the right people, this isn't a one off, believe me, keep digging sunlive, get the truth out


Root of the problem

Posted on 14-12-2014 14:01 | By Conzar

The root of the problem (ie the abhorrent behaviour) is the monetary system which inherently has social stratification. You speak of the anti-smacking law. But do you even know what structural violence is? The lower class in society is often treated as dirt and so they do not respect others due to their treatment in society. The social/economic system is responsible for criminals. Punishment will not stop more an more people from stealing especially as people are made redundant thanks to Technological unemployment. See the USA where over 2 million people are in jail and many more that just have no hope and respect for others. As for my feelings, BOTH the child and the teen are the victims here. Wake up and face the real problems of society. If you want a safer NZ, we need to take care of everyone financially.


Conzar

Posted on 15-12-2014 08:51 | By karlpenlington

we live in a welfare state where my tax money pays for those that need it (or to lazy to work for it). these pll that take from young children have no morals. money will not fix that


@Jimmy Ehu

Posted on 15-12-2014 10:49 | By morepork

I do not support the anti-smacking Law which is stupid and unnecessary for most parents. I do not advocate beating children with a whip or cane though, either, neither punching them senseless, hanging them on clothes lines or putting them in washing machines. Discipline of children can be helped by a quick smack after a warning, but that isn't what I'm talking about with regard to the Justice system. Legal corporal/capital punishments are a poor deterrent and punishment "after the fact" is pretty pointless. Long prison sentences are a burden on all of us. As I said before, criminals need to have their minds changed. Part of that process is responsibility to the victims.


karlpenlington

Posted on 15-12-2014 11:13 | By Conzar

Social stratification causes many problems in society such as disregard for others. Enabling those people to be able to participate fully in society will reduce petty crime such as stealing from children. Certainly tax money goes into making sure those in poverty don't starve but their living conditions aren't very good. Those people will feel that society doesn't care for them. They will feel bad about themselves because they can't find work or work that pays well enough for them to participate (all of the status signs of success in the monetary system - nice cars, nice house, travel money, etc). Do some research into the phycological effects of social stratification. Also, look into structural violence. I'm sure your ignorant position will change.


Conzar

Posted on 15-12-2014 14:10 | By karlpenlington

sorry but my ignorant position comes from growing up in a poor household and spending my youth on the dole. I then found the drive to better myself, get training and get a better job. I have lived at the bottom end of the social ladder (note its a ladder and can be climbed by those with the drive to) helping them financially will only encourage then wait for hand outs. but if we can give them the tools to better them self's that's all we can do


karlpenlington

Posted on 15-12-2014 15:51 | By Conzar

The economic system is NOT a ladder. Its a game where there are winners and mostly losers. You are lucky as very few people actually make it out of poverty. Please educate yourself on technological unemployment. As this will be the driving factor in the coming years for poverty for the majority of the population. We must do more than just help people financially if we want a stable society. We must actually support everyone with a basic income. Otherwise, crime rates will continue to increase. More people will be hurt unnecessarily. Prisons will over flow (see USA). I for one do not want a repeat of the USA system here in NZ and that is what we are headed to thanks to the everyone for themselves mentality so many of you seem to have.


@Karlpelington

Posted on 15-12-2014 16:11 | By morepork

I grew up in a State house in Lower Hutt. Like you, I decided to try and do better and my parents both made sacrifices to get a decent education for me. NZ let's people make choices and we can all have a better life if we choose to. I agree with what you said 100%. Conzar has a point that poverty can be a "state of mind" resulting from perceived social class. But his solution of throwing money at everybody is even more impractical than my idea of changing criminal minds. How we all feel about living in a community is shaped by the community we live in, as well as our own personal perceptions. It takes a village to raise a child. Crimes like this won't occur if it is made clear that the community will not tolerate it and it isn't "cool" to be a thug.


Conzar

Posted on 15-12-2014 21:00 | By karlpenlington

I have to ask you Conzar, You speak of us all needing to do more than help financially? Does this also mean giving a fellow poverty stricken person the tools to better themselves? Do you donate your time to do so? Society does have a moral obligation to help those in NEED, however we are failing to look at the fact that this 17/18 year old stole from a defenseless young boy or a minor. Who has said she is in poverty, she may come from a financially stable household. What person could justify this to be my responsibility as a member of society? This girl of 17 or 18 is practically an adult if not already and needs to be responsible for her own actions. If her crime was more severe (eg murder etc) I don't believe anyone would be claiming that society was responsible.


Glad they have caught her

Posted on 16-12-2014 15:38 | By carpedeum

Lock her up for Christmas- she needs to be make an example of- SHAME on such terrible cowardly bullying !!!


Disgusting....

Posted on 18-12-2014 07:41 | By kiwigrunt

Those thieves need a damn good hiding. We have to stop being so weak and PC when dealing with sub human trash like those two. Banning, community service etc is too much of a soft option.


@kiwigrunt

Posted on 18-12-2014 13:24 | By morepork

So, would YOU be the one to administer the "damn good hiding"? Suppose it wasn't a young girl, suppose it was somebody 1.9 metres tall, who works out and has a big stick? Still keen to have a go? "Damn good hidings" are part of the problem, not the solution. Yes, the girl needs to be corrected and possibly even punished, but violence just perpetuates violence. It isn't a solution. "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" leads to a society where everybody is blind and toothless. If you had "damn good hidings" when you were growing up, I'm sorry. Try and get over it.


pc rules

Posted on 24-12-2014 16:21 | By i see stupid people

I am shure the NZ PC brigade will defend this lowlife as another victim of wider NewZealands oppressed socio economic deprived ethnic minority forced to thieve from an 8 year old boy to score some opportunist xmas pocket money.


Bayfair

Posted on 09-01-2015 21:40 | By dolleigh

Great stuff Bayfair Shopping Centre for the voucher for the young boy, great stuff :)


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