by Emma Ballingall
It was supposed to be a fresh start when Sue moved into a new house in Warragul.

But, two days later, the woman still mourning the sudden death of her husband was feeling more scared and alone when she became the victim of an aggravated burglary and car theft.
"It's been the worst year of my whole life," said Sue (not her real name). "This is the straw that's broken my back because of everything I've had to do."
And, despite police charging three people for the crime, they are yet to face any consequences.
"They don't understand the full impact of what this has done to me," she said. "I will be scarred by this forever and they need to be made responsible."
"They need to see that emotionally it matters. They could have done anything to me."
Sue is telling her story to highlight the emotional trauma that victims face.
Still grieving the death of her husband in a car accident earlier in the year, Sue said she had no choice but to leave the Warragul house they had shared for 37 years.
"I couldn't live there anymore, it was filled with everything; the memories."
Already facing sleepless nights after the "terrible nightmare" of packing up and selling the house, Sue said the move wasn't easy.
"It all felt so wrong, I shouldn't have been doing this on my own."
Despite positivity from friends, Sue said it was only two days after the move that she could sit back and think "it is nice here."
"I knew I would be happy," she reflected.
However, that positivity came crashing down in just six minutes.
Having opened the garage door to farewell family, Sue and her adult son, who has additional needs, were approached by new neighbours. She recalls welcoming them inside, closing the garage door behind them. However, the garage door remained open.
"In six minutes they stole the car. We were 10 steps and one door away. We never heard anything."
Whilst her car keys were in her pocket, her handbag was in the car.
The handbag contained her spare keys but also a folder with documents and speeches relating to her husband's funeral.
"They took my handbag with everything in my life in it. Everything, they just stole everything."
"I felt like I had nothing left, all I had was my mobile phone. I didn't have a credit card or even a dollar."
Some items were found dumped at a cemetery, leaving her angry at their total disregard for items holding high sentimental significance.
Despite the aggravated burglary occurring in September and her car recovered a few days later, her vehicle has not been returned.
Although not physically hurt, Sue said the emotional and mental toll was enormous.
"I just cried all night," she said. "I didn't sleep a bit."
"I didn't get out of bed unless I had to. I just felt I lost everything and had no control of anything because it was all gone."
"Because it was all linked to my husband, it just made it 500 times worse."
With her spare keys stolen, Sue had the locksmith out the next day to change locks at the house, her recently vacated house and the house of a family member, costing more than $1000.
She has since spent thousands more installing CCTV, fencing and gates. "I've now done everything I can to make the house as safe as I can."
Despite this, Sue remains in shock from the incident and a person walking past her house immediately puts her on edge.
"Everyone going past looks suspicious to me. Even now, I'm still doing it and I can't stop."
"Before my husband died, we didn't even lock our front door. Or lock our car in the carport. It would be unlocked all the time."
Latest figures released by Crime Agency Statistics show 75 aggravated burglaries occurred at residential properties within the Baw Baw police services area over the 12 months to September.
They include 38 in Warragul, 21 in Drouin, six in Trafalgar, four in Longwarry, three in Yarragon and one each in Drouin South, Narracan and Neerim South.
In that timeframe, 198 vehicle thefts occurred.
Whilst 94 vehicle thefts incidents were in Warragul, 41 in Drouin, 17 in Trafalgar and eight each in Longwarry and Yarragon, smaller local towns also were targeted.
Trafalgar East had five recorded and Jindivick, Lardner, Shady Creek, Narracan, Erica, Rawson, Willow Grove, Neerim East and Neerim South each had two.
Single incidents were recorded in Longwarry North, Toorongo, Ferndale, Bona Vista, Drouin East, Drouin West and Crossover.