Refugee family loses prized car

There’s not a single straight panel or intact window left on Mu Gay’s car. The Burmese refugee’s Mazda is one of several recently wrecked and left on the doorstep of a former suburban prison.

Up to seven stolen vehicles have been dumped at the reserve by the old Wellington Prison, also known as Mt Crawford, in the past fortnight. Reserve users say anti-social behaviour is nothing new.

While some are calling for something to be done about the amateur destruction derby, Mu Gay just wants his stolen car back so he and his family can continue rebuilding their lives.

Mu Gay, along with his brother and parents, settled in Maupuia in 2019 after fleeing ethnic violence and poverty in Myanmar. Through a translator, the 19-year-old said the car had given them freedom and opportunities before it was stolen.

‘‘It has made life very difficult. My parents now have to walk from Maupuia into the city and to English classes. Sometimes we take the bus if we have enough money, otherwise we have to walk. We walk for shopping and for sports. It can be a very long way and take a very long time, we have no other choice.

‘‘We saved for a very long time for our car. It was the most expensive thing we had ever bought. It was everything to us. It gave us freedom and now, we walk or take the bus and spend money on bus fare which we would rather spend on food or other necessities.’’

Patty Zais is a member of the Miramar Prison Community Garden. She said broken car parts were often left behind after nighttime vandalism, but the hoons had started turning up during the day.

‘‘We’ll be in the garden and the boy racers are speeding through and doing skids. It’s becoming dangerous – there are a lot of walkers and mountain bikers.’’

Anti-social behaviour had been a problem for years, with drinking at night and rubbish dumping not being uncommon, she said. The garden’s greenhouse had also been a target for thieves.

She wanted to see cameras put in place. ‘‘There’s just one road up there – it wouldn’t be complex to monitor it.’’

A police spokeswoman said they were aware of the concerns about abandoned vehicles, but had not noticed an increase in car thefts or dumping. Because it was an isolated location, it was a place officers regularly monitored for all types of crime.

The former prison land is managed by Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand, which has noticed a rise in antisocial behaviour. The agency’s head of crown property, Jerome Sheppard, said it had increased the frequency of security patrols because of this.

Wellington Prison opened in 1927 and shut in 2012.