Burglar steals laptops full of memories
A £3,000 REWARD is being offered for anyone who can help with the conviction of a burglar who got into an occupied house during the day and stole two laptops containing a family’s treasured photographs and videos.
The theft happened between 8.30am and noon at the White House at L’Eree on Friday 6 July.
The family, who have asked not to be named, were getting ready to go on holiday and had plugged in two silver MacBook Airs to charge in the study. It was from there they vanished.
The father of the family said they had set the reward at £3,000 for the conviction of the thief and the return of the devices. He said it was important to stop this kind of rare offence happening in the island.
‘We live in Guernsey and one of the reasons we came to Guernsey was the safety and security here is really good,’ he said. ‘People coming into a house gives Guernsey a bad name.’
That morning members of the family went in and out of the house several times, but the 14-year-old son was at home the whole time, watching television.
It was not until they went to get in the taxi for the airport that they discovered the two six-year-old devices were gone.
The folder containing the family’s holiday money and passports had been moved, but was left behind.
There were also brand new MacBook devices in the same room and in the hallway, which were left.
The study window, which was usually unlocked but has a complicated locking mechanism, was locked, which made the family think the burglar had been disturbed, had fumbled with the window and then rushed out of the front door.
‘We feel they might have been disturbed and realised there was someone else in the house,’ the father said.
‘We feel someone might have been watching us, as they could see we were coming and going.’
The stolen laptops have been locked so they cannot be used, and if they are switched on, the user will be told the device has been stolen and to report the theft to the police.
One of the laptops had contained all the family’s photographs because the mother was preparing to make a table book.
The father said they had just 1% of their photographs as hard copies and they really wanted the original digital ones back.
They had also lost all their family videos, including one of their daughter’s first steps.
The family have now changed their habits.
‘We now lock our study permanently if we are not in there,’ the father said.
‘We lock the front door and we are not so keen to leave the children. If we are going out for the evening, we will have dinner earlier.
‘It has changed our perspective of the safety and security in Guernsey.’
n Guernsey Police are investigating. Anyone with information is asked to call DC 196 Romeril on 725111 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
