Have you ever been a Victim of a Burglary, Mugging or Robbery?

[Davkaus]

I once got mugged two nights in a row, at the same time, in the same place, by the same guy. I was a student at the time living in one of the biggest shitholes in Nottingham, working the evening shift at a supermarket that meant I was getting the bus back and walking through a dodgy area at about 22:30 on weeknights

This scally asks if he can borrow my lighter. I don't smoke. He seemed offended by this and asked for my wallet and I just said no, but it turns out he had a knife, so ok, yeah you can have my wallet. It's **** empty and the accounts are empty, so go ahead - he passes it back. He asks what's in my bag, and I proudly showed him my 2 bottles of bitter and slice of cheesecake, which he doesn't seem to want. He's also fairly unhappy about that so asks for my phone. This is before smartphones have really caught on - and I'm a poor student, so I had a crap flip phone, with a cracked screen. He took one look at it, gave it back and told me to **** off.

The next night, I see him from a couple of hundred meters and can't believe he's so brazen to try it again, keep walking, again he stops me and asks for a lighter, and this time I save us both a hassle and just say "me again from last night, and I'm still **** broke".

Edited January 11, 2023 by Davkaus

[magnkarl]

Some meth-head tried to steal our EV last year by mirroring the key at our front door. We have wifi-cameras at all sides of the house so we could see the guy as well as cameras in the car. I phoned the police while this was ongoing as he had a machete-like knife in his belt. He managed to mirror the key after 20 minutes, but I kept locking the car with my app. He got really frustrated when I'd locked the car about 20 times after he'd opened it, and started banging on the door. The police arrived after about 30 minutes, tased (but it didn't seem to land) and maced him as he had a deadly assault weapon, he ran off into the neighbour's garden, lost his scruffy grey reebok chav pants and fell over my neighbour's rose bushes. He was sentenced to 12 years for assaulting police, intent to use a deadly weapon and for having burglared several more people..

We've now got the keys in a signal blocking metal box, and have hung up signs with camera icons in the drive way. It's worked so far.

Edited January 11, 2023 by magnkarl

[bickster]

Someone tried to mug me once in the 80s, I ended up taking him to A&E

[chrisp65]

Luckily, I grew up in a docks town in the 70’s and 80’s, one with a Scooby Doo style closed down fairground and a path through a scrapyard that formed part of the walk to school. In the summer trainloads of well wishers would arrive from Wolverhampton, Dudley, and Merthyr to join us in a cultural celebration of what we had in common. We would excitedly wave at them as the train arced its way to our home turf, which we would hope they would see and share as also their home turf. 

But these stories of crime show me there was a whole other scary world out there away from our idyllic cosseted upbringing.

#blessed 

 

[sidcow]

Think I've told this story before but when I was studying evenings at Matthew Bolton o0n Bristol Road I got of the inner circle (8?) bus in Sparkbrook to catch the No 6 to Hall Green.  As I got off the bus I noticed this guy hanging around the bus stop.

As I got to the Number 6 stop I got a kick up the arse.  Not particularly hard just a gentle kick up the arse.  I turned round and saw this guy standing there.  I suddenly thought I knew him so I said in a loud friendly voice "Alright mate, how you doing?"

He said OK so I started talking to identify where I knew him from.  I was not long out of working at McDonalds and studying at Hall Green Tech so I was asking him about those places which he didn't know me from.  it only then dawned on me that I had no idea who he was and that he was trying to mug me but had been totally flummoxed by my friendly response.

Anyway he went on to say he's run out of petrol so did I have a couple of quid to help him get some, I gave him £2 and off he trundled.

After that I used to catch the bus back into Town then back out.

 

Also had my second (first proper nice) car stolen.  I'd only owned it about a month.  I parked it in the open air car park behind the Dome.  Funny how when your car is stolen you carry on looking around trying to convince yourself you left it somewhere else even though you know exactly where you left it and it's not there anymore.

It was found the next day burnt out near Villa Park outside a factory.  By the time my insurer got a recovery vehicle there it had already gone.  Apparently the Taroni's regularly tour the local area for wrecks each morning.

Got a call from CID a week or so later when I was at a family party asking me to go over to a lock up they were investigating because they thought my car seats were there.  I asked why the hell they thought some random Ford Escort seats might belong to me.  After a bit of conflab the other end they said the guy who owned it had my tax disc in his own car.  I mean, isn't that the bigger clue?  Anyway I went over and found various bits and bobs from my car.

The guy was never prosecuted.  I tried to keep an eye on the case but literally every time I called the Police there was a change of officers in charge and after a couple of years of nothing from them I just gave up.  Crime does pay.  There must have been parts from dozens of cars in that lock up.

Edited January 11, 2023 by sidcow

[fightoffyour]

56 minutes ago, Paddywhack said:

I need a thread of "times you beat up an a***hole" to make me feel better.

Not quite but...

On a night out in Manchester with friends while at uni. I'd already got kicked out of the club we went to and everyone eventually came out too, so I was feeling pretty guilty.

Some friendly yet, "unsavoury" characters are chatting with us for a while at Piccadilly gardens. After they leave, I instinctively ask my mate if he's still got his stuff (my hands were firmly in pockets). Nope, his phone has gone.

Now I'm feeling very guilty. I started legging it in the direction they went, he's a bit behind. We come to a four-way junction. Shit, which way? Don't know, that one?

Leg it down some random road. Shit, there they are! And we're catching them up!

Err...what do we actually do if we catch them up? They might have a knife.

Guy hears us coming and holds the phone out over his shoulder. We take it and they don't even turn around. We immediately turn back around and head back towards where we came from.

**** hell that went pretty well, had no idea which way they event went. What are we going to tell the others? Dunno, you better punch me in the face.

[Zatman]

1 hour ago, Davkaus said:

I once got mugged two nights in a row, at the same time, in the same place, by the same guy. I was a student at the time living in one of the biggest shitholes in Nottingham, working the evening shift at a supermarket that meant I was getting the bus back and walking through a dodgy area at about 22:30 on weeknights

This scally asks if he can borrow my lighter. I don't smoke. He seemed offended by this and asked for my wallet and I just said no, but it turns out he had a knife, so ok, yeah you can have my wallet. It's **** empty and the accounts are empty, so go ahead - he passes it back. He asks what's in my bag, and I proudly showed him my 2 bottles of bitter and slice of cheesecake, which he doesn't seem to want. He's also fairly unhappy about that so asks for my phone. This is before smartphones have really caught on - and I'm a poor student, so I had a crap flip phone, with a cracked screen. He took one look at it, gave it back and told me to **** off.

The next night, I see him from a couple of hundred meters and can't believe he's so brazen to try it again, keep walking, again he stops me and asks for a lighter, and this time I save us both a hassle and just say "me again from last night, and I'm still **** broke".

Reminds me once I was walking home drunk and some guy asked for the time and he cycled off with my phone. He got 50 meters up and realised it was crap and left it for me to collect and said sorry

[AlwaysAVFC]

Almost one for the boring thread but on topic. I was walking from Paddinton Station to Edgware Rd with my phone in my hand about 10 years ago or more. A women in full muslim dress tried to take it out my hand as she passed. I had a tight grip so she didn't get it. I do wonder what I would have done and what would have happened had she took it. How the situation would have been viewed if I did confront her, with quite a large muslim population with the supermarkets on that road. Nothing happened though and we both carried on our way.

[GarethRDR]

Targeted during a spate of catalytic converter thefts in the area a couple years back, now park on our "unofficial" driveway (pebbled front garden that we don't use for anything) right up to the house as a deterrent.

Going years back, when I worked in a shop I caught someone coming upstairs from the staff-only area.  Manager and I pulled him to one side and asked him to empty the bag he had on him and turn out his pockets which were all empty, but later found that one of the girls had left their wallet and mobile out on the table in the staff kitchen, and the phone and cash had been nicked. He probably had them shoved in his trousers somewhere.  Police came and we gave statements, nothing ever came of it that I'm aware of.  Felt bad for a while afterwards as we'd caught the guy there and then, but looking back a) it's not like I could have frisked him and b) that's why we had lockers, she was daft for leaving that stuff out.

Ex-girlfriend's shitty first car, ooft now that was trip; first off I caught two lads trying to get into it whilst parked out of the back of the shitty room I was renting from a "mate", saw them from the window and yelled, they ran off and by the time I'd ran outside they were gone.  Couple weeks later, same car got nicked from the back of her house, joy-ridden down to Bournemouth and dumped (what "joy" could have been derived from that heap is beyond me, frankly).  She got the car back, but the pisser for me was a bunch of my CDs were in the car, they'd been cleared out.  Aforementioned "mate" was a real piece of shit and the working theory is the two scrotes were his missus' younger brother and his friend, but again nothing ever came of anything. My ex was also a clearing in the woods though, so again looking back I'm fairly indifferent to the whole thing.

I suppose the most disappointing aspect is the recurring theme of the police not being able to do jackshit.

Edited January 11, 2023 by GarethRDR

[colhint]

Three incidents, first I was pickpocketed in Cape Town by some hookers. There was me and 3 Saffer work mates. Anyway one of them grabbed my balls and asked if we wanted a good time. We said no and walked to the nearby bar. I went to pay for drinks and realised my wallet was missing. The one saffer said as they're hookers they would still be there. They were they denied it. But a further £20 managed to make it reappear.

Second incident. I was living in Bedford there were six houses right on the riverfront. We shared a communal courtyard. It was great at the weekend's someone would start a bbq others would join in being some food or wine. Anyway I went out to the courtyard one Saturday and the bbq was missing. I thought one of the neighbours might be cleaning it. Soon after a few more came down and we determined it had been nicked. Not a real problem it only cost about £25. One of my mates suggested we report it as we didn't know if there was anything else missing. So we did, but thought that would be the end of it. No a bit later the police turned up and had a look around. They told us they thought there would be little chance of recovering the bbq . We thought that would be the  end of it. No, a short while later a WPC turned up on her bike tring tring . I told her the police had already been , she said she knew. She was from victim support.

Third incident we were broken into. One morning I got up and went to get a cup of tea. I looked and was the tv was missing. I checked to make sure the family were ok, they were. Nothing else was missing so the wife said what about the car. They had taken that aswell. I phoned the cops who came out quickly. They said they think they knew who did it. A lad had been released on parole and said this was the second burglary that night. The first was this lads next door neighbour. Anyway of he went to check. Got a call half an hour later. They found the car on this lads drive. Stupid prick. Anyway the cop asked if it was ok to dust the car for fingerprints. I said yes. Big mistake. They already had him my tv my car and the other guys house who had been burgled well his stuff was there. So why a mistake to let them dust it, well the car was towed to a place and I had to pay the £100 towing fee, and whatever they use for dusting powder never comes out. No matter how many washes no matter how much cleaning you could always see it.

[tinker]

2 hours ago, sidcow said:

Think I've told this story before but when I was studying evenings at Matthew Bolton o0n Bristol Road.

Jesus flashbacks from that s**thole. Students robbed on their walk to town every evening. I used to jog down the Bristol Road to try and avoid it all..

[dAVe80]

3 hours ago, Paddywhack said:

I need a thread of "times you beat up an a***hole" to make me feel better.

I was changing busses at 6 Ways in Erdington when I was at college, and a younger lad (I'd say maybe in his last year of school, and I was in my 2nd year at college, so probably 2 years difference in age) with dreads did a happy lap thing on me. Ran past me and slapped me in the face. I don't know how or why, but my instinct was to grab hold of his dreads. Once I'd got hold of him I repaid him in kind. I don't think he was expecting that, and so he was quick to run off as fast as he could. When I think about it, I wonder what would have happend if he'd got a knife or had mates with him, but red mist had took over at that point. 

[magnkarl]

3 hours ago, Paddywhack said:

I need a thread of "times you beat up an a***hole" to make me feel better.

Got one of those in my locker too.

In the 80's the missus and I were heading into town (I was working in Newbury at the time), when what looked like a heroin addict jumped us and ripped off my wife's inherited gold necklace. It had been in her family since eons, so it was very precious to her. I ran after the bloke who was clearly high on something. Unluckily for him I'd just come out of the army and was in the best shape I'd ever been in, so I quickly caught up to him and pushed him into the canal (Newbury is essentially one big village full of canals). He got really frightened as I don't think he could swim, so I gave him my hand but didn't lift him out of the water. I told him I wanted the necklace back or else, and he obliged, he also gave me several other pieces of jewelry he'd stolen on the same day which the police was glad to have back. I ended up in the local paper, picture and all and the wife still has the article on the wall to this day.  

Edited January 11, 2023 by magnkarl

[Rustibrooks]

I grew up in South London, so it was pretty rough. Once a guy tried to snatch my iPhone out of my hands about 10 years ago but I instinctively hit him in the head so that failed lol. 
 

However about 12 years ago, I was pretty depressed and my mental health was in the gutter. I was one day sitting down, thinking to myself surely my life couldn’t get any worse than it was at the time (or seeming so to me) and bang I get a call from my mother in hysterics right after I finished playing football, about someone slipping into my bedroom window and robbed my Xbox, a ring that was given to me by a relative, my mums jewellery and a bag with items  that my grandfather left for my mum before he passed away. 
 

Police did f all which I wasn’t entirely surprised about, what was funny (I can laugh about it a bit now) my close mate called me at work 9 months after the incident and asked if I was online. Turns out whoever stole my Xbox had the nerve to use it as well (or could’ve sold it which seemed more likely). 

[leemond2008]

Had my phone taken out of my hand when I was talking on it when I was about 15, dude ran off, I was devastated man, I used to like that phone.

Had the shit booted out of me when I was about 18, 6 ways Erdington, my mate was steaming drunk but I was stone cold sober because it was the opening game of the season the following day (villa v liverpool if I remember correctly) anyways, it was about 3am, dude pulls up in his car and gives it the old "OI" I told my mate to just keep on walking but him being pissed he stopped for the dude who threw him against a wall and gave him a dig, I went over and this is back when I had long hair, before I could do anything he grabbed my hair and pulled it down to his boot, proceeded to leather me in the face continuously in a pair of rockports (I stopped counting after the 21st kick) had to go hospital for scans on me noggin and everything, police knew who it was and didn't do **** all because there were no witnesses...apart from the 3 people who called the police to report it but didn't leave their names, even though each of them reported the reg number of the car

6 ways Erdington again, I'd been drinking all day and was pretty pissed, stopped off at the chippy and was waiting for the 11 bus to come, little kid and his pal comes up to me and says "Yo, blud, give me your money" I laughed at the little scrotes and they looked at each other confused and demanded my chips off me, I told them to **** off and laughed again and they kind of looked at each other confused and then said "...well...can we have your coke then" (can of coke, not cocaine) I shook the living **** out of the can and smashed it on the floor and told them to **** off and they just walked off. worst muggers ever.

[hogso]

Used to work in a crap supermarket - Kwik Save. It was frequented by many of the towns shop lifters, as security were only ever on employed on site after a 'serious incident', whether that was a significant theft or an assault. That would only last for a couple of weeks at a time, the place would be relatively trouble free, we'd stop having security, and then have another month of almost grief. 

I would be asked occasionally to follow suspected (or known) shoplifters around the store, who would shout until they were blue in the face that they had never been in before, and definitely weren't barred. I don't mean like covert store detective stuff. Just literally stand them to them the whole time they were in the store. This would often result in threats being dished out, what time you are finishing today then? That sort of thing. For some crazy reason, I would be honest, and tell them. Every single time. For context, I'm 5'7", slight build, no sort of fighting 'experience' or training. Absolutely no right whatsoever to be cocky with anyone.

99% of the time the person in question wouldn't be outside when I finished. One night, that wasn't the case. The three of us who were locking up step outside, front doors are locked, I jump up to full the shutter down..."I've been waiting for you, you little word removed". I turn around and there is a chap who I'd followed round the store earlier, one of my colleagues' steps forward while I stand there agog. Matey gets KTFO'd, and the guy runs off. Waited for the ambulance, police, etc... I can't recall seeing that particular guy in store again, but man, did I feel guilty. 

There was also an occasion where I was worked at the front of the store, couple of lads walk in and pick up a couple of crates of beer each and walk straight out, manager who is also nearby shouts at me to chase them...so I did. Completely insane thing to do. I'm small, but quick, and have been fond of short and long distance running for a long time, so had no trouble catching them up. One lad seems surprised to see me, so drops one crate, and throws the other at my head. I attempted to catch it in a nonchalant way, but it didn't really happen, and I dropped it. They then both run off with the two remaining crates, while I return less than triumphant with two crates of broken bottles. I do wonder what would have happened if I'd been stabbed, there's no way my manager should have told me to go after them of course. For anyone familiar with Nuneaton (and the location of the old Kwik Save), I'd chased them up the back by the Rec, through to the Meadow Court blocks of flats...so you can imagine the clientele we were dealing with...

That's it. Throughout my childhood and adulthood, I've been fortunate enough to keep my nose clean, somehow.

[bobzy]

1 hour ago, dAVe80 said:

I was changing busses at 6 Ways in Erdington when I was at college, and a younger lad (I'd say maybe in his last year of school, and I was in my 2nd year at college, so probably 2 years difference in age) with dreads did a happy lap thing on me. Ran past me and slapped me in the face. I don't know how or why, but my instinct was to grab hold of his dreads. Once I'd got hold of him I repaid him in kind. I don't think he was expecting that, and so he was quick to run off as fast as he could. When I think about it, I wonder what would have happend if he'd got a knife or had mates with him, but red mist had took over at that point. 

[lapal_fan]

I was working on a disabled care home in Lozell's for a construction company who were refurbing it whilst at Uni for pocket money. 

I was walking down the road from the care home when a group of 6sih young muggers confronted me.

"yo man innit giz us ya phone" 

"No"

"I'm not playin, yea, giz ya phone"

"he..he.. he..."

"wat u laffin' at blud?  I said giz ya fone!" and he tried to haymaker me.

I didn't react and he hit me, full force in the mouth/chin, snapping my head sideways.

I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and looked.. a little blood.

"No one makes me bleed my own blood.. hahahaha" 

 

So anyway, I now father 6 children in the Lozell's area because once I sparked them out (I only threw one punch) all their girlfriends (models I think) came out and I banged them all in front of the muggers.

#dontmesswiththelapmeister

It's very interesting that, that isn't the case in most of these stories and there seems to be a lot of fear and running and crying to some degree. 

[knoppy1987]

Getting married and thereafter, divorced. 

Two school incidents come to mind, both involving people at school who were friends, and both fairly minor.  

I received a black Nike jacket for Christmas at the age of 14 which disappeared off the coat pegs in the classroom. A friend at the time pointed the finger at two friends, but both pointed the finger at one another.

Similarly, when BMX bikes had a revival around the late-90s early noughties, mine was taken from one of the two friends' house above. This time, the finger was pointed at two people at the house that day, who pointed the finger at the friend from the coat robbery. I later spotted a bike resembling it (tyre branding, and different tyres back and front) in Southport a year later chained up and did nothing. Always regretted not waiting just to investigate.  

The friend was later expelled from school for an attempted bursar's office robbery having thought it was full of cash and loot. He was apparently caught in the act. 

I seen him a few years later at a football game where he was stewarding. He claimed to be a changed person. He later became an actor starring in the arse end of Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps. 

I once caught a teenager in my garage trying to get under my car, I suspect to remove the catalytic converter.   

[sidcow]

2 hours ago, Rustibrooks said:

I grew up in South London, so it was pretty rough. Once a guy tried to snatch my iPhone out of my hands about 10 years ago but I instinctively hit him in the head so that failed lol. 
 

However about 12 years ago, I was pretty depressed and my mental health was in the gutter. I was one day sitting down, thinking to myself surely my life couldn’t get any worse than it was at the time (or seeming so to me) and bang I get a call from my mother in hysterics right after I finished playing football, about someone slipping into my bedroom window and robbed my Xbox, a ring that was given to me by a relative, my mums jewellery and a bag with items  that my grandfather left for my mum before he passed away. 
 

Police did f all which I wasn’t entirely surprised about, what was funny (I can laugh about it a bit now) my close mate called me at work 9 months after the incident and asked if I was online. Turns out whoever stole my Xbox had the nerve to use it as well (or could’ve sold it which seemed more likely). 

Sarf