A group of men armed with a gun and an axe charged into the Noel Leeming store on 4 August and stole a number of items.
Photo: Screenshot / Google Maps

A Northland man has described the terror of having a gun fired over his head during an armed robbery at an electronics store.

The man, who did not want to be named, said he went into Noel Leeming in Waipapa, near Kerikeri, with his mother and partner on Sunday afternoon when a group of men charged into the store.

Although one was carrying a long-barrelled firearm of some sort and another an axe, the seriousness of the situation did not dawn on him immediately.

“We all thought it was a bit of a joke at first. We even laughed, we thought it was a tasteless prank.

“As they came in, they did the usual swearing and screaming at everyone to get down on the ground. Then the guy with the rifle came over to the counter where we were and fired it over our heads.”

The three customers then hid behind the washing machines but when one of the robbers noticed one had a cellphone, he pointed the firearm at them and yelled, “Put the f****** phone down and no-one gets hurt”.

“Then they smashed some cabinets, took what they wanted and were gone.”

It later transpired the shot fired over their heads was a blank but they did not know that at the time.

The man said they had coped well at the time, his mother included, but had woken up during the night with visions of a balaclava-clad man standing over them with a gun.

A police spokesman said they were continuing to investigate the robbery, in which a group of offenders armed with weapons threatened staff and customers just after 1pm.

Several display cabinets were damaged and one staff member was assaulted.

The victim was checked by St John Ambulance staff but fortunately was not seriously injured.

“However, this was a distressing incident for all those in the store at the time,” the spokesperson said.

Enquiries were continuing to establish exactly what was taken in the robbery, and to identify and locate the offenders.

Anyone with information that could assist police was urged to call the non-emergency police line 105 and quote file number 240804/3523.

Information could also be passed, anonymously, to Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.