'My son was never a statistic to you' - robbery victims praise police

The families of two teenage robbery victims have thanked Essex Police for catching the culprit and bringing him to justice.

The incidents took place in Colchester in June last year.

In Castle Park on 1 June, an e-scooter was taken from a 16-year-old boy, and in Old Heath Recreation Ground on 2 June, a bike was stolen from a 15-year-old boy.

During the first incident, the victim was approached by the culprit – a 17-year-old boy who can’t be named due to his age – and threatened.

The victim reported he was placed into a headlock and told he would be stabbed if he didn’t hand over his scooter.

Officers attended, put support in place for the boy, and carried out CCTV enquiries which identified the person responsible.

During the second incident, the victim was approached by the same suspect and threatened.

When the suspect began to draw a knife from his bag, the victim handed over his bicycle.

After interviewing the victims and carrying out enquiries, the offender was arrested and charged with two counts of robbery, charges he admitted at Colchester Magistrates’ Court.

Appearing at the same court for sentence on Friday 22 March, he was sentenced to a 12-month youth referral order, with an intensive supervision and surveillance order attached, and ordered to pay £300 in total compensation to the victims.

In impact statements, both victims spoke of the lasting trauma caused by the robberies.

'Robbery knocked my confidence and pride'

The victim of the scooter robbery said:

“Immediately after the incident I felt immense anger as I felt something had been taken from me – my confidence and my pride.
“I struggled to get back onto my feet as I kept looking over my shoulder fearing a second incident.”

The victim of the bicycle robbery said:

“This incident has affected everything.
“I felt scared to even leave the house, I would go outside and couldn’t help thinking that the same thing could happen again.”

Speaking following sentence, the mother of the victim involved in the bicycle robbery praised the support shown by the officer in the case.

'My son was never just a statistic to you'

She said:

“You have been there for me and my son all the way through.
“You have provided us with information and always kept us in the loop despite my worried emails in the early hours you responded quickly, often immediately and I have never been left waiting for any answers.
“The way you have dealt with my son, spoken to him and related to him has been so beneficial and your personal approach has always made me know that he mattered as an individual and was not a statistic, he has always been your biggest concern and you have put his safety first.
“You have always been on it for the whole case and for that I am so grateful.
“You have been so supportive to both me and my son and for that I can never be thankful enough.
“The process has been a lot more positive than we could have hoped and you have always gone above and beyond.”

The mother of the boy who fell victim to the scooter robbery added:

“The response to the incident was fast once it got going and the process has helped my son to talk through things.
“The police have done everything they could do and I wish they would use the defendant as an example and it would send a clear message to others in the area.
“I have always been kept in the loop. I do feel that the sentences are too light in the courts, but I know that this is not the police.
“Victim support have been very cooperative and listened and provided us with packs containing resources that will be useful moving forwards.
“As a mother, I felt it was important to persuade my son to make a stand, to ensure other victims felt they could also come forward and to ensure public areas are safe at all times of day – particularly in the afternoons when everyone should feel safe in town.
“Victim support have continued to be brilliant even now, and the police have been brilliant too.”

Officer in the case Detective Constable Juliette Snow said:

“Both victims were left with lasting anxieties and understandable trauma after suffering robberies at the hands of the same suspect.
“Right from the outset, we treated these incidents very seriously.
“There was real public concern in Colchester last summer around these robberies, which is why we ensured the person responsible was swiftly brought into custody, questioned and charged.
“The evidence gathered included matching descriptions given by the victims with CCTV evidence, clothing and property seized from the suspect.”

At Essex Police we put victims at the heart of everything we do. The Victims’ Code explains the rights that everyone can expect to receive as a victim of crime, and helps us define what we must do for all victims from their initial contact with our force until the conclusion of their case.

Find out more about the code and to understand the rights of a victim of crime, on our Support for victims and witnesses of crime page.

To report a crime, please use our digital 101 service. In an emergency call 999. 

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