I got burgled last week :(

graeme_s-2

As I was about to leave work to cycle home last Wednesday I noticed a missed call from my wife and a new voicemail on my mobile. I listened to the voicemail which was basically an anguished wail and sobbing and then I rang my wife. She sobbed down the phone and told me that when she got home she found the back door smashed in and the house ransacked.

I cycled home (possibly bagging at least 1 segment on strava as I was in such a rush) and got back to the house before the Police had arrived. My wife was in a state, the house was a tip, but the cat was ok.

Our burglar had smashed our double glazed patio door (probably with a screw driver and a hammer according to the crime scene guy) and then spent 15 minutes rifling through our house. He knicked a satnav, a wii and my digital SLR, all of which are covered on the insurance. What's most upsetting is my wife works in the NHS, and isn't allowed to wear her wedding and engagement rings to work as they're considered to be an infection risk. They were in her jewellery box, and the burglar obviously found them and took them. They're insured, and we can get new rings made by the jeweller who made the originals, but her engagement ring had 3 diamonds in it that were from my grandmothers engagement ring. We're both absolutely gutted about this.

My wife went round all the jewellers and pawn shops in town on Thursday with photos of the rings, we've been scouring eBay and the local paper are going to run a short article with a photo, but I can't help but feel that we'll never see the rings again.

Later in the evening while the glazier was boarding up the back window we discovered that my keys had also been stolen, so the glazier replaced our house locks. My wife and I then had to sit on our drive in the car from midnight until 2am when the RAC (sent by her car insurers) arrived to collect her car and take it into storage (I had a car key on my key ring). My wife doesn't have a courtesy car included on her car insurance, so she had to rent a car yesterday, and the latest estimate on when she'll get her car back is sometime next week.

I'm doing various things to improve the security of the house now, but it really does feel like shutting the gate after the horse has bolted. The only irreplaceable things we owned have been stolen from us. The burglar was seen by a neighbour when he was casing our house, he was seen leaving the area, he was seen arriving, casing the house and leaving on CCTV, although it doesn't sound like that will be enough to identify him. He didn't leave any finger prints in the house. He smashed through a double glazed door at the back of our house which is over looked while our neighbours across the road were in at 9:30 in the morning in broad day light.

I'm pleased that none of us were hurt, and that the cat's ok, but I'm really angry and sad about the whole thing. I feel naive for not having secured my house better (I'll be fitting a house alarm this week among other things) and I feel guilty for not having looked after my wife, my home and a family heirloom better.

If you've read through all this then all I can recommend is that you reassess the security of your own house, as I wouldn't wish this upon anybody.

Secteur

Absolute bummer- you have all my sympathies.

What about the bikes?

cornerblock

Really really sorry for you and your wife, that is just terrible. I hope the dirty filthy scum who did this get caught and maybe, long shot I know, that you get some of your belongings back. We have our alarm system linked to the police, and we have to pay a fee every 6 months, it's now due and I was considering not paying it and just having an alarm system that wasn't linked, not now!

I hope you and your wife get over this as soon as you can, take care of each other.

graeme_s-2

Bikes were in the garage and were all untouched. Burglar was on a bike himself and only took what he could carry. I'd have been pretty upset had my bikes been stolen, but they're insured and could be replaced. I'm going to put an IR sensor in the garage when I install the alarm, so at least the garage should be protected in the future.

BigJimmyB

Don't chastise yourself beacuse some lowlife decided to violate your property. He is the wrongoder.

Sometimes no amount of security will prevent this scum. Even the Queen awoke to someone sitting her bed once!

I hope your things come back to you and he OD's on the scag he bought with your treasures.

Cleat Eastwood

the gobsh1tes normally wait till your insurance pays up too and may try again thinking theres more goodies to be had - just be careful. Scum is too kind a word for them.

LeicesterLad

Really Feel for you Graeme - Especially with the rings and family connection, that's gotta hurt!

One of the worse things I remember from being burgled is just the violation, the though that someone has been in your house rumaging through your things. It really is horrible. My uncle got burgled not so long ago, they smeared excrement all over the house. Not pleasent at all.

graeme_s-2

Cleat Eastwood wrote:

the gobsh1tes normally wait till your insurance pays up too and may try again thinking theres more goodies to be had - just be careful. Scum is too kind a word for them.

Aware of this. We're further securing the house anyway, but also with this partly in mind.

I do have "Bear trap in garden" on my list of security improvements. It's certainly tempting.

capt_slog

Cornerblock wrote:

We have our alarm system linked to the police, and we have to pay a fee every 6 months, i

In my 'ideal world'.......

I would be allowed to electrify my house. When the thieving lowlives tried to break in, they would be zapped to a crisp. I would then be able to phone the police and they would pay me for the leccy used, give me a pat on the back and a "well done sir", whilst sweeping up the remains.

graeme_s-2

LeicesterLad wrote:

One of the worse things I remember from being burgled is just the violation, the though that someone has been in your house rumaging through your things. It really is horrible. My uncle got burgled not so long ago, they smeared excrement all over the house. Not pleasent at all.

Apart from some muddy footprints and our stuff strewn everywhere this guy didn't really make that much mess. He just got in, methodically worked the house over and left. As I said before, I'm relieved the cat was ok.

I don't so much feel violated, as just sad at the realisation that anybody who feels like it can just take my stuff whenever they like and all I can do is take steps to make it harder. The thought of how pleased he must have been when he found the rings actually makes me feel sick.

da goose

Not good at all, get a decent alarm system particularly if you are near other properties, it won't always stop a break, but % of getting done is much lower, plus the t leaves wont stay in long once it goes off.
If you have decent neighbours let them know whats going on, more eyes the better.
With the government cuts on police/crime yet really to bite expect it to get much much worse...

Bobbinogs

When I was a student in Liverpool I lived in a ground floor flat with rear access so I spent ages fortifying the back so that no one could break in. Went away for a couple of days only to called up by my girlfriend advising that a thief had broken in through the front door during the middle of the day! Must have made a hell of a noise but miraculously no one heard or saw anything :evil:

I figure that if someone really wants to get in they will (just look at footage of drug enforcement raids against uPVC front doors...takes a few knocks with that thumper thing weilded by a big copper but the door goes in eventually).

graeme_s-2

da goose wrote:

Not good at all, get a decent alarm system particularly if you are near other properties, it won't always stop a break, but % of getting done is much lower, plus the t leaves wont stay in long once it goes off.
If you have decent neighbours let them know whats going on, more eyes the better.

We do have nearby houses. It's a semi-detached new build house. When our neighbours moved in they had an alarm fitted and I must admit my heart sank a bit, as I felt if someone were to look at the two houses it would make them more likely to break into ours than theirs. Our house is currently the first house on the street. We have a show-home car park adjacent to us, and there will be two more houses built on that when the estate is finished.

The one good thing about all this is we've met some more of our neighbours now, they've been really supportive and I think we're going to have them all round for a drink at the weekend.

da goose wrote:

With the government cuts on police/crime yet really to bite expect it to get much much worse...

A Police Officer responded fairly promptly (had trouble finding the house as it's a newly built street), and then stayed with us while he took details and waited to find out when the crime scene technician would be coming out. He was absolutely mortified when he then had to tell us that nobody would be coming that night to take evidence from the crime scene. Instead we would have to attempt to interfere with the scene as little as possible (not tidy up, clean up or straighten up the house) until sometime the next day when someone would come out to see if any forensic evidence could be taken. He was very apologetic and embarrassed, and I felt very sorry for him. He said with the cuts that had been made they now only had 1 crime scene person on at any one time to cover the whole of Coventry and most of the east side of Birmingham. Meaning if there was a fatal car accident or something similar in Birmingham then no house burglaries would be seen that day in the whole area. This is a recent change due to funding cuts.

msmancunia

Really sorry to hear about this - horrible thing to happen. It happed to my parents when I'd just gone off to Uni so they knew the house was empty during the day.

My mum lost a load of jewellry that was in a jewellry box - all she had left was what she'd had on, wedding and engagement rings, bangle, necklace and a ring that was my great grandmother's. She died when I was 23 so I inherited those.

The one thing I remember is what the loss adjuster told me - never put your valuable jewellry in a jewellry box. It's so easy to just lift and go. Leave that full of the non-valueable stuff you wear occasionally - stuff from Accessorize and whatnot. The valuable stuff - he recommended my mum put it in a bright odd sock, at the back of the sock drawer. Thieves always look in knicker drawers, dressing tables etc for jewellry boxes and ring boxes, but don't have a good feel of the socks. I've been burgled twice since then - once as a student, and once when I was gardening and left the back door open. They never found the jewellry and I still have it.

The Ors

Sorry to hear about this.

Too late as you say but have you thought about getting a safe? They are reasonably inexpensive & should stop your standard everyday scumbag.

naz1

my deepest sympathy for you and you wife. main thing is your all ok.

hope you get through this. it sound's ironic and im not being funny by any means, but were all mile's away and some near but reading this has some good in it for all of us. be strong about this fella. that scumbag will get caught.

it's a very small world. God Bless pal.

Velonutter

Sorry to hear the Graeme, hope you and your wife get sorted.

I used to supply replacement computers for Norwich Union and some of the tales we heard were unbelievable!

Having had my business burgled three times there are some golden rules that I stick to now.

1. Always use an Alarm, never trust your stuff without activating your alarm, you'd be surprised how many people never switch theirs on!

2. Never leave your car keys or in fact any keys easily found as the burglars will use your car to load the stuff in and drive away.

3. When you got to bed always activate the zoning down stairs of your alarm, you'd be surprised how many people are burgled whilst in bed.

4. Never leave empty boxes of newly installed hifi's TV's etc. outside, it just advertises that you have new stuff and worth nicking.

Always have the correct household insurance.

Hope that helps.

Regards,

John

sithebike

Sorry to hear about what has happened to you and your wife.

I work for an electrical wholesale company, 90% of the burglar alarm systems we sell are bought by people who have recently been burgled.... So you are not the first person to "close the door after the horse has bolted"!!
We were recently broken into at work, luckily they never physically got into the building. They didn't break a window or force a door open.. They smashed a 12 inch square hole through the wall!!

I hope the police find the little scrote bag and you manage to get at least some of your belongings back.

Cleat Eastwood

thats good advice from msmancunia - except I have really expensive socks.

graeme_s-2

Thanks for everyone's commiserations and advice. Alarm arrived yesterday, and had a visit from the insurance company's loss adjuster. Everything sounds fine with the insurance.

Got the alarm partly fitted last night. Need to put up a couple more sensors and install the alarm box outside tonight. Going to put a door sensor on the garage door to help protect my bikes.

Also had a visit from the Police yesterday who'd found a bundle of paperwork that we hadn't realised had been pinched. It was found in the alleyway that the thief had made off down. It was basically stuff from the messy drawer in the dining room that we can never find anything in. This included some pay slips, a couple of cheque/paying in books, our marriage certificate, my wife's car ownership documentation, my passport, £100 in eurostar vouchers and some other bits and bobs that are of no interest to anyone. All water damaged and ruined.

Cleat Eastwood

bad luck on them finding the marriage certificate.

graeme_s-2

Cleat Eastwood wrote:

bad luck on them finding the marriage certificate.

Well, it's ruined and her rings are gone, so I have suggested that maybe technically we're not currently married.

Luckily my wife saw the funny side (sadly she thought I was joking )

squired

The thing is that you can have all sorts of security measures, but they still may not work. Or even worse, you do have them, but don't use them.

One of my neighbours was burgled last year after they used a wire through the letter box. The family were out of the house, but had not locked the mortice on the front door and hadn't turned the burglar alarm on. Earlier this year my other neighbour was burgled. This time they went through the back garden and drilled through the locks at the back of the house. He didn't have his alarm turned on either.

When the burglars did next door they also tried my house. I have a side gate, which I know is a security risk, so I had a complex wall of trellises above it. This was ripped down by the burglars. The police were extremely surprised as they said it would put most off. I also had a fake CCTV about 3 metres up on the side of my house, which was completely destroyed. The funny thing is that they didn't actually break into my house. Whether the fake camera finally put them off (another at the back of my house too) or they were disturbed, I don't know. However, it shows that you can have plenty of measures in place and they may still try. Three houses with burglar alarms and two have been broken into. Ours was almost broken into and 2 years ago someone else came round the back and just moved the fake CCTV to face the wall. For whatever reason they didn't actually break in either.

It is a horrible thing when it happens though. I think everyone should do their best to secure their house because the anguish of a burglary can last a long time. London Bars on doors, drillproof locks, burglar alarm and if you can afford it, CCTV.

CambsNewbie

No-one has mentioned the ultimate deterrent.. A german shepherd dog!

If someone can get past my dog, into the house, pick up what they want and then out again then they will have deserved it!

Seriously though... A dog like a german shepherd with a strong guarding instinct will make a lot of noise and will make would be burglars think twice.

graeme_s-2

The police officer who responded when my wife phoned it in suggested a dog. Got to admit I'm not a massive fan. Also doesn't seem fair on the dog, as we both work full time so it would be sat at home alone all day with nobody for company but a small ginger cat who would inevitably also be extremely pissed off with this arrangement!

We have considered fitting the cat with a large metal spike, but as she gets scared easily and hides under the bed, I'm not sure this would be particularly effective!

cornerblock

A dog is a good idea, you get it it's own offshore bank account, write off a lot of tax and in no time you could re-coup your losses from the burglary. You know what I mean 'arry!

baldwin471

Sorry to hear about this.

pinno

My mother is in hospital, she's doing fine, but I am house sitting now as a direct result of your story. Bad luck mate

thefd

Mate, I feel for you. Earlier this year I got my garage broken into and my bike (Trek 1.5 - mint condition only a few hundred miles on it, and uninsured) and a petrol chainsaw and a few other things were nicked. I have since upped my security - padlocks and bolts on the garden gate, and copied a system from my neighbour to stop the 'over and up' garage doors from being forced open.

The really annoying thing was the thief even stole my big padlock chain for my bike - presumably to stop it being nicked from him....oh the irony!

I have since bought (second hand off Gumtree) a replacement bike - which I love - but still gutted about the thieving blighter taking things dear to me!

We did say (wife and I) that at least they didn't break into the house - could have been worse - so I do feel for you!

graeme_s-2

TheFD wrote:

We did say (wife and I) that at least they didn't break into the house - could have been worse - so I do feel for you!

I must admit, I said to myself "at least he didn't get into the garage and take my bikes", but to be honest I'd have swapped that in a second for all the hassle and heartache over the stuff they've taken in the house.

I've installed a house alarm this week. Just waiting to borrow some long ladders on Sunday so I can get the alarm box up on the wall of the house. I have an infrared sensor in the garage which should give the bikes some protection.