Looking back at October 10, 1994
Thieves ransacked the Cordeaux Heights home of a quadriplegic while he was out with friends at a Wollongong hotel.
The thieves would have known Paul Cole was disabled because of wheelchairs located in the home and a hoist over the bed.
Yet they still stole two TV sets, two video recorders, a compact disc player and fax machine.
The thieves also made off with bankbooks and passports.
Many of the electrical items were bought with money from a public appeal after Mr Cole became a quadriplegic in 1988 following an awkward fall which broke his neck.
Mr Cole was in the process of changing his contents insurance, so was not covered for the theft and could not afford to replace them.
Unable to work, the VCR and CD player were his main means of entertainment and also mental stimulation.
"My whole day revolves around what I have been taping and what I can watch to keep my mind active," Mr Cole said.
"I hope they feel good about what they have done."
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Glen Humphries
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
