Quite. Simply trying too hard.
This type of robbery is rife in Ireland and I believe, knowing of some chaps at my football club who have fallen victim, it is quite the loss to the builder type as basically he is unable to work the next day resulting in a loss of earnings and a resultant large outlay to replace said items.
I expect Sir C to have a comment to make here.
No, I think the prescribed course of events is that they ring An Garda Siochana and inform them of the crime, AGS then sympathise and tell them that they know who is responsible, normally travellers, but inform the victim that they can't do anything in the absence of evidence.