Owner of one of five Christchurch businesses targeted by youths overnight wants parents held accountable

Youths smashed into Sharkey’s Pub & Cafe on Hoon Hay Road stealing 2 bottles of beer / Photo: Chris Lynch

A Christchurch business owner is feeling disheartened after his pub was targeted by youths, causing thousands of dollars worth of damage.

Sharkey's Pub and Cafe, located on Hoon Hay Road, was one of five businesses hit by vandals in a crime spree overnight.

Chris Lynch Media understands some of the other incidents may not be all linked.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time that Sharkey's Pub and Cafe has been targeted.

Owner Anthony Carrington says that this latest incident marks the 5th time his business has been hit by vandals.

"It's hard to make ends meet at the best of times, you know, without them taking your profit away," he said.

Despite the fact that the business made a decent profit over the weekend, all of the money earned will now have to go towards repairs.

Carrington is calling for swift action to be taken against those responsible and for greater accountability to be placed on parents and caregivers of young people who engage in these types of crimes.

Sharkey's Pub and Cafe Owner Anthony Carrington said parents needed to be held accountable for their children’s crime

Carrington said that security measures such as cameras and metal bars across the door entrance were not enough to deter the offenders.

"If I start putting bars up across all the windows it will start to look like a prison," he said.

Unfortunately, the dairy next door was forced to install metal casing across the windows following a spate of break-ins by youths.

Carrington said the offenders in this latest incident were around 14 to 15 years old and only stole a couple of bottles of beer.

He tried to get a government subsidy for fog machines but was rejected.

"They said that I'm not a bottle store, which we are because we've got an off-licence.”

“Everything that's behind the bar can be sold to be taken away. Originally I did pass the criteria but then some person contacted me and said I'm not eligible."

When Chris Lynch Media arrived at the pub, a forensics staff member from the police was investigating.

Carrington said that the youths who raided his business previously were connected to a gang, further highlighting the severity of the issue.

Carrington is calling for parents of youth offenders to be held accountable for their children's actions.