The attack on Emm Jay Dairy in Hamilton earlier in March this year has etched an indelible memory for Sandip Patel, the owner of the dairy who was hit by a machete on his skull along with bruised hands in the attack.
The daylight robbery attempt had left him with 30 stitches on his head and bruised face and arms.
Although the pressing need for keeping his businesses alive brought him back to work, the deep psychological fear of being attacked again at the workplace, almost at the will of opportunist offenders, prompted him to install a heavy metal cage at the entrance of the shop.
“Prevention is better than cure,” says the 44-year old brave father of two.
Sandip in conversation with The Indian Weekender earlier this week explained why he chose to construct the metal cage at the door and how he thinks it will avert such attacks to his store.
Emm Jay Dairy, at the corner of Brookfield and Grey St in Hamilton East, has been the target twice in the last six months of which the March incident left him bedridden in the hospital.
Protest by retailers in Hamilton in March 2018 (Picture: Kelly Hodel/Stuff.co.nz)
“I spoke to one of my family friends, and he told me one way to prevent such incidents is to brace the shop with a metal door and deny entry to people who look suspicious,” Sandip told The Indian Weekender.
Sandip called an engineer, a metal door maker and an electrician to design the door for his store so that it is strong enough to keep the perpetrators at bay and at the same time give ample visibility to see visitors to his store.
“Anyone who looks suspicious, wears a hoodie or a bandana will not be allowed entry to the store,” Sandip said.
The metal door will have a magnetic lock with its switch with the store attendant at the counter and can bear the force up to 500 kg if anyone tries to smash it.
“It took a few weeks to get everything in place, design and construct the door and it has come for a hefty price of over $3500,” he added.
Sandip Patel after the attack earlier in March (Picture: Christel Yardley/Stuff.co.nz)
Sandip further adds that installing this gate is a duty that he is doing from his end and it will significantly reduce such crimes in the future.
“I have done my job by taking one more prevention measure, now the police and the lawmakers should see the offenders of such crimes do not go unpunished,” Sandip said.
Since the cage has been installed on Friday, March 30, the community is applauding Sandip’s work, and the word of mouth of this cage has spread across every store in Hamilton City.
“People are coming to see my store, the gate installed and asking me on how and where to get it done for their shops.
“If I find anyone suspicious, I won't allow them in, and my customers are too in full support of this, and they are not offended at all. If someone still feels offended, they always have other places to go,” he said.
Protest by retailers in Hamilton in March 2018 (Picture: Kelly Hodel/Stuff.co.nz)
Just after the attack on Emm Jay Dairy in March, at least 75 retailers and scores of community members gathered in solidarity with Sandip and protested in Hamilton demanding to make the law stronger for the offenders.
The meeting also highlighted the menace of increasing shoplifting instances that later snowball into robberies of cash, tobacco and at places liquor bottles. The retailers appealed the police and smoke companies to install a cigarette ATMs or vending machines that operate or open only when cash or card make the transaction.
This meeting was also attended by Labour MP Jamie Strange, Hamilton East National MP David Bennett, National List MP for Manukau East Kanwaljit Bakshi and police representatives.
The Police representative assured maximum support possible and asked the retailers to equip themselves with smoke cannons, alarms and CCTV cameras so that such incidents can be averted.
Police authorities are also conducting a survey, and soon most of the stores will be equipped with a fog cannon, as subsidised by the government for a mere $250.
Sandip Patel and his friend with the new metal caged door installed at Emm Jay Dairy in Hamilton East (Picture: Supplied)
Sandip is still recovering from his injuries, suffers convulsions occasionally and has trouble using his left hand. This does not discourage him from working every day for seven days a week from morning till late evening.
At least other dairy and liquor stores are now planning to install the metal cage to make their store safer for themselves, their families and friends.
Dairy store robbery offender named
The man accused of attacking Emm Jay Dairy in March that left owner Sandip Patel with a broken skull and bruised hand and shoulder has been named.
Seventeen-year-old Jeremy Hoeta is yet to enter pleas to three charges for the attack NZ Herald reported.
Hoeta is on one of the two offenders charged whose name suppression lapsed on Thursday, April 5.
New metal caged door installed at Emm Jay Dairy in Hamilton East (Picture: Supplied)
Hoeta's lawyer Mike McIvor told Judge Simon Menzies in the Hamilton District Court he needed time to go over the case with his client before entering pleas.
Hoeta faces charges of aggravated robbery, aggravated wounding and unlawfully getting into a motor vehicle.
Judge Menzies remanded Hoeta in custody to reappear on April 19, and said he wanted pleas on that date, Herald reported.
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