A pair of burglars learned that crime does not pay when Mohammed, a New Zealand shopkeeper, smashed up their car as they raided his mini-supermarket in the middle of the night, a newspaper reported on Wednesday.
Watching the pair stealing cigarettes, sunglasses and telephone cards on a monitor in his West Auckland flat after they triggered a burglar alarm, he went down to take the number of their car parked outside.
Mohammed, who did not want his surname published, told the New Zealand Herald he picked up a piece of steel pipe for protection but once outside was overcome with anger and attacked the car.
He admitted his first swing was weak before a neighbour turned up to give him moral support and said he was not hitting it hard enough, so he set to and smashed the windscreen and back window.
The burglars jumped in the damaged vehicle and drove off but police said later they had arrested a man.
A sheepish Mohammed told the Herald that it felt good to take his revenge at the time but he would not repeat the attack, acknowledging: ”It was dangerous.” — Sapa-DPA