Darren and Ashley Reid are devastated after callous thieves stole a gravestone from their friend’s grave site.46267 Picture: Kim Cartmell
A PAKENHAM family still reeling from the loss of a close friend have been dealt another blow after a memorial gravestone was stolen from the local cemetery.
Darren Reid said he visited his friend Sharon Lee Sullivan at the Pakenham Cemetery last week to find that a car shaped gravestone he placed on her plot was gone.
The carefully painted concrete 1971 Ford XY Model was painted bright blue with black stripes down the front – mirroring Sharon’s own car.
“Sharon had a big love of cars,” Mr Reid said. “We wanted to replicate what she had, and it was pretty similar, but hers was a sedan.”
Mr Reid said Sharon was very close with his family – especially his daughter Ashley.
“She shared the same birthday and always had a lot of time for her,” he said. “Her death was really hard on Ashley and now to see that someone could do this, its just devastating.”
Pakenham Police Senior Sergeant Alan McCarthy said anyone stealing from gravesites was a “disgrace”.
“If anyone has had anything stolen from the cemetery they should report it to police,” he said. “That also goes for anyone who visits regularly who notices anyone acting suspiciously, they should call 000, we would be keen to find out who is doing this.”
