THE heartfelt letter at the bottom of this story is one woman’s desperate response to the heartbreak caused by burglars who stole an irreplaceable personal memento from her sister’s home in Worcester.
Pip Singleton took pen to paper in the hope that getting the letter printed in the Worcester News would prompt one of the intruders to find their conscience and return the precious bracelet, stolen when they ransacked the home in Ombersley Road on Tuesday afternoon.
The silver braceletwas a gift from another sister who gave it to her siblings as she was dying from leukaemia.
Thieves broke into the house between noon and 2.30pm by smashing a security door before making off with items including money, jewellery and electrical equipment and even birthday presents from her 10-year-old niece.
But Miss Singleton, of Evesham, who works as an animal welfare officer for Worcestershire Regulatory Services, said the theft of the bracelet had hit the family hardest.
“It’s destroyed the family, my sister has cried her eyes out,” said the 46-year-old.
“That bracelet would be worth nothing if they sold it.
“We’ve accepted what they’ve done and we’ve forgiven them but all we wanted is the bracelet back.
“They don’t have to admit what they’ve done, but if they could just find some compassion in their heart, it would mean so much to us. It would just feel like we’ve got a bit of my sister back.”
Miss Singleton’s sister, Becky Haughtey, died 16-and-a-half years ago, when she was just 33, after fighting Myloid Leukaemia for 18 months.
Before she died she designed three unique silver bracelets for her two sisters and daughter, Kharis, 19, which she bequeathed to them in her will.
“She knew she was dying but my sister and I didn’t know she was dying at all,” said Miss Singleton. “We thought she would get better.
“She told my mum and dad and asked them to take her to the jewellery lady and designed three bracelets for me, her daughter, Kharis, and my sister.
“All three of us had completely unique bracelets made specifically for us. I can’t believe my sister did it for us when she knew she was dying. The burglary just brings everything back again.”
Miss SIngleton's sister, whose home was raided, does not want to be identified.
Detective Chief Inspector Stacey Williamson, of West Mercia Police in South Worcestershire, said: “The reality around burglary dwelling, the impact that is has on victims is tremendous. For some people it’s life-lasting.
“The impact on victims can’t be underestimated. It’s not just the value of things, it’s the sentimental that goes as well.
“That particular burglary dwelling has been allocated to a member for our team and is doing all he can.
“As an organisation we do all we can to prevent offences in the first place, find the offenders and try and bring closure to the victims so they know there’s a person responsible being found but also with a view to recovering stolen property.
“We would appeal to anybody who has information of where the property might be to come forward. I do understand how devastating this is for them and obviously they need to have their property recovered.”
Dear burglars,
On Tues 24th Sept, you broke into my sister’s house in Ombersley Road, Worcester, between noon and 2.30pm.
You didn’t care that it was my niece’s 10th birthday, as you would have seen all her cards up when you ransacked the house.
You stole her birthday presents, the gift vouchers that family and friends sent her, and all her birthday money.
You went upstairs and stole money, jewellery, and cufflinks, the list goes on.
My sister died at 33 with myloid leukaemia, and before she died she had three silver bracelets handmade to her own designs.
One for me, one for my sister, and one for her daughter to be given to her for her 18th birthday. Her daughter was only 18 months old when my sister died.
You have broken my sister’s and my mum’s heart by stealing this bracelet.
It is worthless to you, you’ll be lucky if you get a tenner for it, but to us it is priceless. I beg of you, look into your heart, and please give it back to us.
We will forgive you for what you have done if you find your compassion and humanity and send this bracelet back to my sister.
It is irreplaceable and unique.
What if the situation was reversed, and this was your dead sister’s parting gift to you, the last gift you would ever receive from her.
Please do the right thing, and give it back to us.
It is a thin silver bangle, with an eye-shaped design, all silver, no other colours, fits round your wrist as a bangle not a bracelet, not a thick, heavy design.
signed, Pip Singleton
Burglary Factfile - Burglary in South Worcestershire has reduced by a third compared to this time last year - There have been 226 recorded burglaries between April 1 and now compared with 365 during the same period last year What are the police doing about burglary?
- Operation Fuschia was launched in South Worcestershire on September 16 to combat the seasonal increase in October and November of dwelling burglaries - Police target hotspots where burglaries in dwellings are known to have been committed using patrols of plain clothed and uniformed officers - The operations also targets people who are known offenders for burglaries in dwellings through the Integrated Management Scheme - The scheme includes visiting people in prison who are about to be released and have a history of committing dwelling burglaries - They are graded depending on how high a risk they are on carrying out further offences when they are released into the community and liase with probation and social services - A man is currently in custody as part of Operation Fuschia for a series of burglaries carried out in the Barbourne and Tything area of Worcester.
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