UPDATE: The owner of a home burgled earlier this week says she is sure she recognised the thief in her street just prior to the crime.
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The owner of a home burgled earlier this week says she is sure she recognised the thief in her street just prior to the crime.
Dr Rosemary Draper left her Webster Street home last Wednesday morning for a doctor’s appointment at the hospital. She says she distinctly remembers a 35 to 40-year-old man driving a faded metallic gold-green four-wheel-drive appearing surprised to see her as she drove away.
Dr Draper said she saw the man do a U-turn behind her and park his car outside her house.
“I didn’t recognise him, but he recognised me,” says Ms Draper, “you do know you can tell when someone recognises you.”
Dr Draper is a retired psychiatrist and psychotherapist who has worked at the Ballarat Base Hospital.
She says the thief went through her home without causing any significant damage. She realised she had been burgled when she couldn’t find her laptop and attached cords, and then saw her handbags had been moved.
The thief stole around $90,000 worth of gold bullion that Dr Draper had bought as an investment in the 1980s. The thief also took a quantity of cash totalling $1,000. A gold bar and 15 one-ounce medallions comprised the thief’s haul.
“It didn’t seem so suspicious until later on the day of the robbery, when I noticed that the catch of the window he ended up breaking in through had been bent previously,” says Dr Draper.
“I hadn’t thought much about it, but now I realise he knows my house, knows my car and possibly knows me.
“I immediately thought, ‘he’s been here before’. I did a sketch of what I thought he looked like to me in those couple of seconds.”
Dr Draper said Ballarat Police attended the scene very quickly after she reported the crime.
“I got in about 12pm, but I didn’t realise what had happened. I rang them at about 20 to 1pm, and they came before one, then the crime investigators came at about 2pm.”
Detective Acting Sergeant Nathan Vercoe of Ballarat Police says the thief may find it hard to sell or get rid of the gold.
“I wouldn’t say it would be common for people to be in possession of this much gold,” said Detective Acting Sergeant Vercoe.
“Items of value should really be stored in safes, either in the home or elsewhere.”
He says he hasn’t come across a theft of a similar amount of gold in Ballarat before.
Police want to speak to the occupants of a gold four-wheel-drive seen in the area.
EARLIER: Police are hunting thieves who broke into a Webster Street home in broad daylight last week and stole an expensive gold bullion.
The bullion, which is estimated to worth at least $70,000, was stolen last Wednesday (April 5) between 8am and 12pm.
The thieves searched the home, stealing a quantity of cash, a 1kg bar of gold bullion, an iPad and a laptop before fleeing.
Investigators would like to speak to the occupants of a gold four-wheel drive that was seen in the area.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au