Latest news with #LeonieMorgan
News.com.au
13 hours ago
- News.com.au
Family home looted after landslide evacuation in Newcastle
Opportunistic thieves have re-traumatised an Australian family who were already grappling with an unbearably difficult situation. The Morgan family were left devastated when a dangerous landslide forced them to evacuate their home in the Newcastle suburb of New Lambton on May 23. Forced to live in hotels while geotechnical engineers take several weeks to assess the safety of their house, the family of four was given the opportunity to periodically return to the house in order to collect essential items like clothes and toiletries. Recently, the family returned to their home to find numerous valuables gone with clear signs of pillaging noted throughout the building. 'My husband's father died when he was eleven and the only thing he has from his father was a pocket watch, and that's gone,' Leonie Morgan said. 'They took my grandmother's pearls I'd inherited.' Out of the fifteen properties evacuated on the street, three in total are alleged to have been looted, and Ms Morgan believes more people have tried to enter the home since the initial robbery. In the aftermath of the first robbery, Ms Morgan's husband boarded up the home with wooden panels in an attempt to mitigate any further attempts – but that hasn't stopped would-be criminals from trying. In a more recent trip to the house, the family found the front door partially kicked in. 'People are still trying to get in, not that there's anything left to take,' Ms Morgan said. In response to the looting, the family placed a letter on the front door of the home, instructing would-be bandits to leave the place alone. 'Hi visitors, our home has already been robbed and ransacked,' the note reads. 'All the good stuff is gone!' NSW Police said a man was arrested early on Wednesday morning after he was allegedly seen leaving one of the vacated properties. Upon being searched by officers, the 28-year-old was found stolen bank cards, perfume bottles, electronics, watches and miscellaneous pieces of jewellery. He has been charged with numerous offences, and has been granted conditional bail.
Daily Mail
16 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Aussie family's powerful message to cruel thieves who ransacked their home after it was caught in a landslide
An Aussie family who were forced to evacuate their home after a dangerous landslide have issued a stern message to opportunistic looters. Leonie Morgan and her family were some of the 39 people who were evacuated after heavy rain triggered a landslide in their Newcastle suburb on May 23. Ms Morgan, her husband, and their four children have spent the last month living in hotels while waiting for the all-clear to return to their New Lambton home. On a trip home to grab essentials, the family were devastated to find thieves had taken advantage of their misfortune and stolen precious belongings. Ms Morgan shared photos of the damage online, showing how their home had been turned upside down and ransacked by thieves. She told the ABC on Thursday that 'everything valuable is gone,' including several items of huge sentimental value. 'My husband's father died when he was eleven and the only thing he has from his father was a pocket watch and that's gone,' Ms Morgan said. 'They took my grandmother's pearls I'd inherited.' At least two other homes on the street were also looted. Ms Morgan's husband managed to board their home up with wooden panels in an attempt to stop any further theft. But on the family's second visit, they found their door had been partially kicked in. 'People are still trying to get in, not that there is anything left to take,' she said. 'It is frustrating that people can break into our properties and steal our belongings, but we're not allowed to go into our own properties.' The family left a sign outside their home directly addressing the thieves. 'Hi visitors, our home has already been robbed and ransacked. All the good stuff is gone! Be safe, the homeowners. 'P.S - watch your step, the ground is unstable. P.P.S Smile for the many cameras.' NSW Police said a 28-year-old man was arrested in the early hours on Wednesday after he was allegedly caught fleeing one of the evacuated homes. Officers searched him and allegedly found stolen bank cards, perfume bottles, electronics, watches, and other jewellery items. He was charged with several offences, including breaking and entering, and granted conditional bail. The City of Newcastle Council said it had hired additional security to monitor the homes while owners were away. 'In addition to regular police patrols of the area, security services have been engaged to patrol the boundary of the danger area,' it said. However, Ms Morgan and several other residents have questioned what measures the council actually took, given the number of robberies. Daily Mail Australia has contacted the City of Newcastle Council for comment.
ABC News
20 hours ago
- ABC News
New Lambton homes looted after residents forced to leave due to landslip
Residents forced to abandon their homes after a landslip in Newcastle last month have been left feeling "helpless" as looters target the unoccupied dwellings. Fifteen properties were evacuated after a landslip near Russell Road in New Lambton on May 23 following heavy rain in the region. Almost five weeks later, residents are still unable to return home, as geotechnical engineers carry out assessments. Leonie Morgan is one of 39 affected residents and believes her home was one of the first to be looted. "We were allowed to go in and check on the property and my husband phoned me and said, 'We've been burgled, everything valuable is gone,'" she said. Ms Morgan said the family had lost items with huge sentimental value. "They took my grandmother's pearls I'd inherited. "Basically, [they took] every bit of jewellery I ever had." Ms Morgan said, after speaking with neighbours, they found out at least two other properties had also been burgled. Ms Morgan said despite her home now being boarded up with wooden panels, it appeared another break-in had been attempted. "Our door was found partially kicked in," she said. In the early hours of Wednesday morning, police arrested a 28-year-old man who was allegedly found running from one of the unoccupied properties. Police say a subsequent search of the man allegedly revealed bank cards, perfume bottles, electronics, watches, and other jewellery items believed to have been stolen. He was charged with a range of offences, including breaking and entering, and granted conditional bail. David, who asked to be identified only by his first name, is another resident whose home has been ransacked in recent weeks. He told ABC Newcastle that security services, which residents were told the council had engaged to protect their homes, had failed. "If council has deployed security, we'd like to know where and when they're operating, because we haven't seen them and they haven't reported any of the break-ins," David said. In a statement, the Newcastle Council said most residents had been able to access their homes at least twice to retrieve essential belongings. It said affected residents should continue to engage directly with their insurer regarding claims to private property. For the past five weeks, Ms Morgan has been living in a hotel with her four children. "I've got a 22-year-old son and he is most distressing to deal with because he's category-three autistic," she said. "So this is just something he can't even comprehend … and I don't have anywhere else for him to go. We feel helpless. Ms Morgan said her most recent update from council was that the assessment by geotechnical engineers that was underway would take at least two months. In a statement, a Newcastle Council spokesperson said it was now seeking the support of the NSW Reconstruction Authority to lead the recovery response.
