Elderly burglary victim with cancer urges us to boost home security
Deborah was burgled earlier this year
A Wiltshire woman with terminal cancer, who was a victim of burglary earlier this year, is urging everyone else to be vigilant of potential thieves.
81-year-old Deborah, had just returned home from a shopping trip in January and had left her handbag in her front porch as she rested before a visit from her daughter, who was to arrive in just a few minutes.
But when Louise arrived at her mum's home, something wasn't right - the front door was open.
“I assumed something had happened and Mum had fallen over or something, especially as she is ill,” she said.
While Deborah hadn't fallen, the pair quickly realised that her handbag was missing - and that it had been taken from her home.
They were able to locate Deborah's phone thanks to the 'Find my Phone' app and they informed police of what had happened.
“I was more worried about Mum getting into a stew than anything else, as she is already ill and I didn’t want this to make her worse," Louise said.
Officers visited the home and located Deborah's phone before arresting 58-year-old Soloman Jeffers from Harnham.
Jeffers jailed
The 81-year-old's handbag was recovered by a member of the public but numerous items were missing, including a driving licence wallet gifted to Deborah by her mother when she was just 17.
Deborah said: “The police were very good at keeping me updated, which I really appreciated. When they told me he’d been arrested I was really pleased. I did feel angry at myself for leaving the front door unlocked though but it could have been a lot worse."
Jeffers was eventually jailed for three years for burglary - although Deborah didn't attend court.
“I didn’t see the need in going to court, but the police updated me that he’d been jailed for three years. I was pleased but I did feel a bit sad for him really," she said.
She says the incident has made her more conscious of home security, always keeping her front door locked now.
Deborah said: “I’d encourage everyone to do the same, make sure they have good locks on their gates, and always keep your front door locked. Especially, if you are like me and live alone. I would also definitely encourage people to download the ‘Find my Phone’ app as it really helped us in this case.”
How technology can help
Det Con Cerys Powell, said: “Apps such as Find my Phone can be really beneficial in cases such as this – it enables us to focus our enquiries in a far more specific location and on this occasion helped lead to the arrest of Jeffers.
“We take reports of this nature extremely seriously and will always respond as soon as possible as we know the impact burglary can have on someone. I am pleased that on this occasion we were able to quickly identify the offender and he was given a custodial sentence.”
Burglary is one of Chief Constable Catherine Roper's force priorities for Wiltshire Police.
The constabulary said: "We recognise the impact burglary can have on a victim and we hope that we can raise awareness amongst residents of the importance of taking home security seriously, being vigilant neighbours and reporting suspicious activity, and ensuring people are aware of the steps they can take to be fully informed of any incidents in their area.
"Follow our tips and crime prevention advice online by searching #BeBurglarAware."