Two attacks in four weeks cost Metchy’s £4,000 and put plans for a veranda on hold
A WELL-LOVED cafe in Cathays has had to spend £3,000 on shutters and a further £1,000 on new windows after they were smashed twice in one month.
Metchy’s Cafe has now been forced to cancel plans to install a glass veranda, according to owner Mehmet “Metch” Unvar.
“I don’t know what’s the next target now, what they’re going to do, if they’re going to do anything,” he said.
It is not yet known whether there is a link between the two incidents, both of which were captured on CCTV. The second attack was also witnessed by a passer-by.
Metchy’s cafe’s windows were smashed for the first time on December 29, while Mr Unvar was visiting his unwell father in Turkey. In the cafe’s CCTV footage, a hooded figure can be seen hitting all four windows with what looks like a crowbar.
The cafe owner had booked for new windows and shutters to be installed on January 25, but the shutters company called last minute and told him they would have to postpone it to the next day.
He had decided to stay in the cafe overnight to make sure it wasn’t vandalised again. When he went home for a break at 8.30pm, he thought there was “no way” the windows would be vandalised again in that short time.
Within an hour of him leaving Metchy’s cafe, someone had smashed one of the windows. An individual wearing a hoodie is caught on CCTV using what appears to be a hammer to make a hole in the window pane before running away.
A Cardiff University student, 21, witnessed this incident and said: “I had walked past the cafe two days prior and I’d seen all the windows were smashed, and so then I instantly was like oh my gosh is it happening again.”
The final year psychology student said: “My heart was definitely beating a lot faster.”
She said that herself and the friend she was with then called the police. “That was probably my main instinct, then it was like right lets get out of here, let’s get home. I’d not really witnessed anything like that before,” she said.
Mr Unvar said “This is a tough time.” He spoke about the cafe earning a “very small percentage of profit.”
The cafe owner thanked customers for being very supportive in light of this incident. He has made an appeal for anyone with information to share it with the cafe in person or to send a message to Metchy’s Cafe on Facebook.
A police spokesperson said: “South Wales Police is investigating a further incident of criminal damage to a property on Cathays Terrace, Cardiff, which was reported on January 25.
“This follows a similar incident last month. Being a victim of criminal damage, whether it’s your home, your business, or vehicle is a worrying experience.
“We understand that being a repeat victim is particularly traumatic. Officers have visited the property and inquiries are on-going. If anyone has concerns or information regarding this incident, please contact us by one of the following means quoting 2400029425.”
- South Wales Police can be contacted by calling 101 or emailing swp101@south-wales.police.uk. Or contact officers via the live chat or contact form on the force website.
