Farmer Bernard Ging of Straboe just outside Portlaoise has described his frustration at not being able to carry out routine farm work with the loss of his SUV and tools in an alleged theft over the early hours of Monday morning 9 January.

Ging told the Irish Farmers Journal that he found out his dark-navy Toyota Land Cruiser gone from the farmyard on Monday morning.

Power tools, including a diesel power washer, Bosch-branded battery tools and a mag drill, were among the items he believes to have been loaded into the vehicle during the robbery for the thieves to drive away with.

“The tools were in a locked cabinet. They just knocked the lock off the door,” Ging said.

“I’d say the battery tools would be worth around €1,000 and the other bits another €600 or €700.

“But it’s not just the cash value, I can do no jobs around the place. Every time I go and look for something, I remember it was taken. No fencing bits or anything.”

Attempted robbery of second vehicle

It also appears that attempts were made to steal second vehicle, which had been in the yard for use “like a quad” around the farm.

“It looks like they were trying to start it. It’s a tricky thing to start and it looks like they couldn’t get it out of reverse; it can be sticky after sitting up for a while,” Ging continued.

“There is a hot washer in the shed we use for cleaning calf feeders and that, it’s more of a fixed job than the power washer with fittings.

“It was disconnected from the wall. I would say that if they got the second [SUV] started, they would have been off with the hot washer too.”

Thieves

The Co Laois farmer commented that the thieves had shown professionalism in carrying out the theft.

“They could have come in the main yard entrance, but they came in on a road used for moving cows.”

Ging said that Portlaoise Garda station was contacted and visited the yard on Monday morning. He asked that anyone with information relating to the incident contact this station.

With registration numbered 05-KE-239, the Toyota was described as having a dent in the centre of its bonnet.

The power washer is of the Yanmar brand and has a reel attached to it for winding up the lance’s hose.

The battery-powered tools were Bosch branded and kept in a Bosch bag when the incident took place.

An Garda Síochána has yet to confirm to the Irish Farmers Journal whether investigations are ongoing.

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