“It was three o’clock in the morning and there’s a torch in my face. Someone is shouting ‘where’s your money!?’ I told them ‘I don’t have any money.’”

Anthony “Shane” Stedman of Shane Surfboards is sitting on his front verandah in Crescent Head, talking about a frightening early morning wake up a few months ago when his home was invaded by a group of young kids.

The 83-year old suffers from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and sleeps in a recliner chair unable to lie down in bed due to his bad lunges. His friend, Jenny, was sleeping in the room next to his when the home invasion occurred, and woke up to three people by her bedside demanding money.

“They stole her purse and bailed her up,” Shane told the Mid North Coaster.

The young offenders took the keys hanging on the wall, opened the garage, and drove away with both Jenny and Shane’s cars. The shocked duo could do little else than dial 000.

Shane said the four broke into his home by removing open louvres of the bathroom window.

“You need to be pretty small to get through that space.”

“Young [people] can do a lot of damage, especially to someone like me,” said Shane. “I only have to think about moving and I get out of breath.”

Leading up to the incident, Shane said he had heard stories of break-and-enters in the area where weapons like machetes were allegedly used. Luckily, no weapons were used on this occasion.

“When it’s all said and done you put your hands up and say ‘take it all just don’t hurt us,’” Shane said. “But we weren’t hurt — for which we’re both very grateful to be honest with you.”

Police say crime continues to be a concern in Kempsey Shire

A spokesperson for the Mid North Coast Police District said police conduct regular high-visibility and proactive operations to target those committing crimes in the community.

Several operations have been run across the region to address property-related crime, including a Strike Force Contrition which saw 98 alleged offenders arrested and charged with a combined 199 offences in 2024, resulting in a significant reduction of property-related crime across the district.

The NSW Police Force Youth Command, along with the Mid North Coast Police District, also engages prevention and intervention programs aimed at curbing youth crime in particular.

This includes specialist youth officers who work with local police to deliver programs and youth initiatives - including Fit for Life and Fit for Change, among others - focused on preventing and disrupting crime.

Youth Engagement Officers also work with PCYC, schools and external service providers within the command to interact with and provide mentor opportunities to young people.

Ultimately, the aim of these programs is to steer youth away from crime and build their engagement with education and employment opportunities within the community.

But a police spokesperson said there still needs to be a concerted, societal effort to instil a sense of belonging and purpose to enable at-risk young individuals to reach their full potential. This could mean encouraging kids into activities such as work, school, community or sport.

Ongoing affects

The impact is ongoing for both Shane and Jenny. “We’ve spent a fortune,” Shane said.

Shane’s car was set on fire and written-off. Jenny’s car was retrieved but is in need of damage repair.

After the incident, Jenny sought counselling and Shane spent more than $2,500 on upgraded security.

“It’s not only the amount of money, it’s the amount of time spent,” Shane said. “I’ve spent at least four hours a day over the past month on the phone to insurance companies chasing money.”

Since the event, Shane often wakes up at three o’clock in the morning. His wooden house makes a lot of noise during the night.

“I’m a fairly light sleeper now,” he said, “it doesn’t take much to wake me up.”

When asked if he has any ideas of how to combat the rise in crime in the region, Shane said “I don’t know the answer to that, and I tell you what, I don’t think too many people do.

“There’s no simple solution.”

Police urge residents to report any suspicious activity to local police or the Police Assistance Line on 131 444, and in an emergency, call Triple Zero (000) immediately.

The NSW Police Force provides crime prevention advice at: https://www.police.nsw.gov.au/safety_and_prevention/crime_prevention