Not strictly family but a head's up...mugging

[jennyh]

Hi

Just in case people don't read the main board I just wanted to let people know i was mugged this afternoon in the little park by sainsburys and wanted to do the usual head's up. One of the witnesses had already seen him walking back and forth near ED station and the parade of shops where blackbird bakery is and had thought he was looking a bit dodgy so remembed him well. Looks like he clocked me on the corner of melbourne grove and followed me as I was texting at the time.

Anyway, broad daylight, he was completely silent as he approached, pushed me onto the ground and then fought me for my phone as my gut instint was to try and hang onto it! Thank you to the lovely people who helped me and called the police and gave statements. I was really touched.

Thanks

[dulwichgirl2]

Dear god poor you. Sorry to hear this. Hope you are ok. A glass of wine tonight?!

[Yak]

Oh Jenny, you poor thing. Hope you're as ok as possible after this. Thinking of you. X

[anyjoy]

Jenny how horrid, myself and a friend walked to sainsburys on Thursday and passed a man we both felt uncomfortable near and was just looking dodgy. It could be the same person I guess. We were both pushing prams and chatting but just had a very odd feeling about him. Guess what I am trying to say is that maybe its not a once off maybe he is praying on Mums in that area so be careful everyone. Jenny I hope you are okay and not too shaken. Take care

[Pickle]

So sorry to hear this, it's certainly worth posting as I'm sure many of us (certainly me) wouldn't think twice about using a phone outside in the middle of the afternoon. I hope that you're ok and being looked after this evening. I wonder if there's CCTV around the station that he may have been caught on?

Take care,

P x

[jennyh]

Thanks everyone. I didn't actually have my daughter with me thank god because I would feel even worse if I had. The police did say that he was most probably a professional so to speak, because he was fast and silent and didnt try and take my bag means that he literally just prayed on me for my phone. I am fine although it is starting to hurt now, my neck and arms are very sore. And yes Pickle...because he had been spotted pacing the street before they should be able to check out the CCTV.

Im just really upset that I have lost most of the photos and videos of my girl :( Save yours now!!!

Thanks for the concern.

x

[oimissus]

Jenny, how awful, I hope you're feeling alright. Why do people steal phones, I just don't get it, aren't they two-a-penny these days?

Re: your photos - everyone, definitely save your pictures onto hard disk, friends of ours were burgled and had their laptop stolen, which had ALL their photos of their little girl on it (aged 2 at the time) - irreplaceable. I'm going to get a disk and start doing mine now (been meaning to do this for yonks)!

[jennyh]

I know, especially when I cancelled the Sim and blacklisted the handset pretty much immediately so essentially it is worthless. It was an Iphone so I know that they are popular for resale...might keep my eyes open on the classified section! :)

[mima08]

Poor you - so sorry to hear this! I hope you are being well looked after and getting over the shock - thank you for alerting the forum!

mx

[simonethebeaver]

Jenny, how horrible. I had the same thing happen to me last summer on Forest Hill Road. Like you, my real regret was losing photos. Most of our photos of our then three month old were on there and not backed up as our computer was broken. I still cry at the thought of them all lost forever. She was with me when I was mugged too, so I felt completely unable to fight back. But as someone said to me at the time, better that the real thing wasn't harmed.

Like you, I found both the police and passers by to be lovely. I hope you feel better soon.

[Ruth_Baldock]

Jenny, so sorry to hear this! Exactly the same thing happened to me in December whilst out with The Babies :( bastards! Xx

[jennyh]

Isn't it awful :( I spent the whole night having disturbing dreams about it even though it wasn't that bad really. Its a new low when they go for you with children, just disgusting behaviour. Sorry to hear all your other stories of it happening to you guys, just rubbish.

[Ruth_Baldock]

In my case, I was genuinely terrified they'd take the buggy:/ was also worried about Lexy Moo, in the bottom seat of the p&t and really vunerable. There was CCTV footage of the bastards thoigh, and they got caught.

Hope you manage to rest today and have a lovely day in spite of it all xxx

[Otta]

Excuse my French.

Fucking shitty cowardly cunt!!!

[Saffron]

So sorry to hear you and others have been though this. Please let us know what happens with the CCTV. The area between ED and Crofton Park including Honor Oak seems particularly prone to this sort of attack. Would be interesting to see a police "decoy" opperation in this area.

[jennyh]

Yes I will def feed back. I have called them a couple of times to get my crime reference number for insurance claim but so far the crime hasnt actually been recorded on the system, hmmm...?? I will keep pushing it because they would def be able to see him on the CCTV, not the actual mugging sadly but I really hope that they check it out.

I went out to Rye Lane today to get a new phone and was watching my back pretty much the whole time and felt like such a victim, such a shame as I have lived in London for 11 years and always felt safe. I'm sure that I will feel better as time goes on!

[ludoscotts]

hi so sorry to hear this. would you mind describing the man please?(pm if you dont want to do it publically).

I was freaked out in the firemans alley park the other day by a man following me into there and hanging around watching me with the children.I got the feeling he was waiting for a chance for me to be distracted with the children.

Didnt think any more of it until today when I was walking along the road from costcutters opposite the library towards the harvester. He was standing waiting for a bus, he spotted me walking past and started following me along the road. Luckily my father and sister were further along the road waiting for me to catch up with them. When I met them he walked past, turned back to look and when he saw us all looking at him as I was explaining that he was following me he ran across the road and went down firemans alley.

It really freaked me out as I was def being followed. Im interested to know if this could be the same man with the first instance being in a childs park.

[ChantalDesire]

Hello Jenny I'm the girl with the baby , so happy to hear your ok and hopefully he gets caught x

[jennyh]

Hi!!!! Have pm'd you. Thanks so much again, to everyone else on the forum - this girl was absolutely brilliant! one of the most perceptive people, definitely a rival to Inspector Morse! Thank you again, really appreciate all your help.

[jennyh]

ludoscotts Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> hi so sorry to hear this. would you mind

> describing the man please?(pm if you dont want to

> do it publically).

No probs. I didnt really get much of a look as he came from behind and the scuffle meant that he was pretty much up close the whole but I know he was big, at least 6'2 I think, black guy, big build and strong, wearing jeans, navy hooded top and a beanie hat, clean shaven. He ran off down the side of Dulwich Hamlets FC and I guess towards Greendale not that that info is particularly useful but might make a difference in some way.

I have thought that he must have thought it was his lucky day, girl walking past with phone in hand wanders off a busy street and straight into a quiet park...perfect timing. Git.

[fapl]

I am so sorry to hear about this. One of the most damaging things is losing a feeling of safety in your own community.

Although you have blocked the phone, it will still work in some countries abroad so it is not useless. I think these professionals target particular handsets and ship them abroad, so they do probably make good money.

For numerous reasons, including not wanting to make myself a target of thieves (and not wanting a 2 year old to throw/flush down the toilet/get addicted to youtube on an expensive phone), I use an old Nokia 3210. It can make calls and texts, although granted it can't take photos and videos. Some of the old Nokias have great battery life, and people make loads of comments about how they used to have the phone :))

[jennyh]

Good tip! Sadly I'm self-employed and rely on my phone to do all sorts of clever social networking and email things along with photos etc so I have to have an irritatingly expensive handset. Anyway I am in the process of claiming for it so hopefully I'll get my money back.

[ludoscotts]

hi jennt thanks for the description, its not the same man though.

hope you feel better about things soon.

[supergolden88]

So sorry to hear about this. I was also mugged in February outside Ivydale school at 5.30pm; was pushed to the ground when I tried to hold on to my bag (obviously back then it was much darker outside). Your mugger sounds of similar build and description to mine. Police never got back to me after initial visit I assume they have found nothing.

I found the mugging affected me deeply took me a month to stop thinking about it. Hope you can put it behind you.

[jcw]

Very sorry to hear this. The description you have given sounds similar to one that was on the Forest Hill forum in January (post 12):

http://www.se23.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=5703

Not sure if the link will work, you may have to cut and paste...