A young Australian family returned from an overseas holiday to a devastating scene—finding a squatter inside their Shepparton rental home, who claimed it was his, while smoking marijuana, eating pizza, and watching TV.
Sanjay ‘Jay’ Kuikel, 32, a junior doctor who relocated with his family from Darwin to regional Victoria for a safer lifestyle, discovered the intruder on 3 May after returning from a four-week trip to Nepal with his wife Nilima, 30, and their two young children.
“We came back at 7.30 pm and it was dark and cold. When we opened the door, this guy was just sitting there like he lived there,” Kuikel told Daily Mail Australia.
“He said this was his house.”
The shocked father quickly took his family to a neighbour’s house and called police, fearing for their safety.
“I immediately thought, ‘Who is this guy? Is he going to attack my kids?’ All of those horror feelings.”
Police later arrested a 47-year-old man of no fixed address, who has since been charged with breaching an intervention order after returning to the home days later. He is expected to face Shepparton Magistrates Court on Friday.
Police reportedly told the family that up to 20 people had been coming in and out of the home while they were away.
Footage captured by Kuikel showed extensive damage—clothes strewn across floors, cigarette butts and drug paraphernalia in the kitchen, and alcohol on a child’s high chair. The family estimates they lost around $45,000 worth of belongings, including 300 grams of gold jewellery—much of it gifted or saved as cultural investments—and essential household items.
“About 100 grams was our wedding jewellery, and the rest was savings. That’s all gone,”
Dr Kuikel said.
The family did not have contents insurance or a safety deposit box due to cost constraints.
The emotional toll has been equally harrowing. “My daughter is scared a stranger might come into this house,” he said.
“It’s not easy to leave them at night when I’m on call.”
Despite multiple police visits, Kuikel said the alleged squatter repeatedly returned to the property, even changing the locks after the owner replaced them. Feeling unsafe, the family terminated their lease and moved back into temporary hospital accommodation.
Victoria Police confirmed the man returned to the property area on May 9 and 10, leading to his arrest on breaching an intervention order. He has been granted bail and is set to appear at Shepparton Magistrates’ Court on Friday. The investigation is ongoing.
Police said the incident and acknowledged “ongoing issues with squatters” in the area, stating they are working with community services to address it.
In an effort to recover and rebuild, Kuikel has launched a GoFundMe campaign seeking $10,000 to replace essential items and support his young family. “Every contribution, no matter how small, helps us take a step toward rebuilding and healing,” he said.
The fundraiser highlights the family’s distress, detailing their losses and the urgent need for support:
“We lost not just our belongings, but our peace of mind.”
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