Sugar Mountain break in

Looks like Sugar mountain was broken in tonight? Glass of door has been destroyed using a concrete block apparently…

That’s terrible news for Pauline.

Is anyone able to contact @Pauline and make sure she’s aware and things are in hand or if she needs any help with anything?

Sadly I don’t have her number, @Michael or @Anotherjohn !

The police were there at about 9.45am when I walked past so hopefully all under control

That’s awful

Thanks everyone.

Zoe from Archie Parker called me and I’ve got good ol’ (young) Artur on the case to board it up temporarily.

Sorry to hear that. How senseless to do such a mean thing.

It’s a shame - but it happens from time to time.
Back in the late 80s, when I was living above that shop, it was about 6pm on a summer’s evening and there was an almighty crash, which sounded like a car had gone through the shop. By the time I got out onto the flat roof to see what had happened, there was some bloke running up Derby Hill with a mattress on this back. He’d thrown a full paving slab through the plate glass window in broad daylight to nick a bloody mattress! Seems like nothing has changed.

I hope @Pauline is ok?

Thanks everyone, I’m just really upset.

Arthur has now boarded it up now.

Police and forensics have been and they may have got some prints from my till & they will be checking the job centre CCTV tomorrow as the breezeblock seems to have came from the building materials at the side steps that have not been finished from the roadworks., the burglars then used a metal pole to prise it open aas its safety glass so wouldn’t break properly.

Some money was stolen from my till & my phone which I forgot to take home with me last night, so thats why noone was able to contact me ;-(

Really sorry to hear that Pauline - never nice to have this happen. Hope you are not too shaken up.

I have a Samsung S5 I could lend you til you get a replacement if that helps? I could drop it off tonight.

I’ll sort out a new phone tomorrow but thank you so much for offering

Oh my god you poor thing Pauline, I’m so sorry this happened to you. They picked the wrong person though - if anyone’s going to come up fighting it’s going to be you. I really hope the police make progress and you can get things up and running again soon.

Perhaps it was better you wasn’t there, as in their frenzy they may have attacked you as well. Hope you get everything settled very soon.

Thanks guys, don’t worry I won’t let it get me down, I’ll be back open as normal on Tuesday!

Tomorrow is my day off anyway so I only had to close today.

So many locals and customers that passed today offered so much help & the police looked after the shop for me so I could go open up the Library as normal.

Local shops wouldn’t let me pay for anything either especially Zoe @TheArchieParker

Customers and locals also helped me clean up the mess.

The support i got from locals definitely made up for the upset I felt today, so Thanks all.

So sad to hear this.
I hope people that rob small buisineses deserve to rot in hell.
It just infuriates me that someone can cause so much expensive damage for what I’m sure wasn’t a lot of money.
I mean really!
just morons.

Hi Pauline so sorry to hear this, let me know if you need help with anything at all.

Ben

This really sucks Pauline. So sorry to hear it.

I’ve got a load of Canadian sweets I bought back for you. I’ll make sure to drop them in this week.

Coffee Crisp?

It’s more than a candy bar… oh oh. It’s a light bright snack… that’s what you are!

No. Tootsie rolls and maple sweets. But I can hook you up when I’m home next in November.

Thank you so much Jason

I really enjoyed the maple sweets you gave me before & I don’t even have a sweet tooth, YUM looking forward to them xx

Got a decent quote today to rep!ace the safety glass in my shop door at £80.

If anyone knows of anything cheaper please let me know @Anotherjohn do you have contact for the guy’s round the corner as they charged me £50 before, but I’ve lost their number.

Either way I will get the glass repaired by the weekend as it’s a complete eyesore.

Pauline, happy to .Life fund this for you. You looked after my Charlotte, I look after you

No @Londondrz - I’ll do it. But thank you so much for offering to help.

I’ve just been out of the loop today (kayaking at Camber Sands)

Will fight you for it You are a nice man and a great landlord.

That sounds cool. What’s that?

Ha!
I’ve had one or two black eyes in my time - but not for helping someone.
Seriously though, I’ll have it sorted tomorrow.
Thanks again.

Can all of you stop being so nice, you have just made me cry again
I

Thanks boss @Anotherjohn @Londondrz @starman and everyone else, I will look into it tomorrow and get it fixed by the weekend.

But massive thanks to you all anyway & xxx too TY

Have to say I am glad I didn’t hear it as I would have run down in my jammies and confronted them & the metal pole was pretty leathal they left behind

You’d have scared the bejeeziz out of them, @Pauline!

Haha, I would have had a go

Gd night hope all is well and the police managed to see video and catch them

Massive thanks to @anotherjohn he came first thing this morning, measured up, went off and got the perfect size of safety glass, came back and fitted it.

Boss you are wicked as it’s not even your responsibility to do this, it’s the tenants responsible.

Don’t care if you tell me not to praise you, cause I sure am!

I’ll arm wrestle you if you disagree with me that you are ace xxx

Seriously, thank you so much for being you & you should have let me pay for the glass at least but you didn’t

A sense of perspective on this (@Pauline!).
My job is being a landlord, I manage property, sometimes people too (@Pauline!), and some A-holes broke a little window and I fixed it (thankfully, no one was hurt and there was minimal loss or disturbance).
Most people do much harder and more-worthwhile jobs than I do - with no praise or recognition.
Many people also do charitable work or help-out in their local communities (@Pauline!) for no personal gain - and they don’t expect any thanks.
End of!

There are landlords, and then there are decent landlords. You fit very well into the second category.

Good work @Anotherjohn

Its all true, the things they say about @Anotherjohn - he was honest and upfront with me the first time I ever spoke to him, several months before I took my first shop in Forest Hill, and has been nothing but a damned fine bloke ever since, warm and generous. And then, when you think all that is already more than enough, you try putting him in front of a karaoke machine and the man turns into a legend.

You lunatic!

No one can do Tom Jones like @Anotherjohn on the karaoke:

He even done it for me to raise money for The Evelina Kids Hospital a few years ago & he went down a storm!

Simon he’s gonna kill us for this, but he “Can Leave His Hat On”

Sorry Mr, but you are ace

Leave the poor guy alone you two!

Will have to pop by soon and stock up on sherbert lemons. Hope business hasn’t been affected!

Woohoo, just picked up an email from our lovely local police to say they have got a match on a set of fingerprints, Y EAH!

Excellent! Hope they catch the crim - shouldn’t be hard now.

Where do we put the stocks?

Looks like 2 peeps have been caught for breaking into my shop!

Got this letter today

IMG_20180824_173154912×1163 229 KB

Superb news Pauline. Are the stocks and rotten tomatoes ready?

Pauline - you should probably blank-out the names

Ah I never thought about that, thanks Mr xx

@anon5422159 or @Londondrz can you block the names for me please, not sure how to do it in pics xx

Done

Thanks Chris x

I am tempted to attend the sentence at Woolwich Crown Court mentioned, public are allowed to sit in the gallery and I would like to see what is said & the reasons given for doing this by the person in custody

Have you been invited to give a victim statement in Court?

No.

I would like to though

Can I request this?

@DevonishForester

I would think very carefully about going to court and facing these people if there’s no need for you to be there in person.
This was a opportunistic random smash-and-grab and it was very unlikely that they never gave a thought about a victim.
But, by going to court, there’s the risk that you might set yourself up a sitting target for some sort of revenge because, don’t forget, you’re dealing with people of a peculiar mentality - especially if they’re using drugs.
The damage was superficial, you lost a few coppers out of your till and you’ve suffered some emotional stress but, thankfully, that’s it.
Hopefully, the police have got this sewn-up anyway, so consider what you’re likely to achieve from going to court v’s the negative energy and worry that it could cause you.
There could even be a horrible confrontation between you and them or one of their friends or family outside the court.
I want justice to be served down to these people but I also don’t see any point in you setting yourself up to suffer any more than you have.

What a sad state of affairs that we, the law abiding citizens, are warned to be scared of seeing justice being done incase of reprisal or confrontation by the criminal minority.

I can read this two ways, so, to be clear, are you digging me out or just making a general comment?

Apologies @Anotherjohn, it’s a comment on society, not your noteworthy point; even if it is ominous advice, it raises valid points for the discussion.

Sorry again.

No worries - and thank you for getting that straight.

I genuinely felt uncomfortable when I was making that point because it goes against what’s fair and right.

I also realise that I may have been totally wrong; and the robber coming face-to-face with his victim in court might make him feel remorseful and apologetic.

But knowing that Pauline is alone in the shop for most of the time I just thought it would be best to keep things at arms length and let the police do the business in court.

I’m glad we sorted that out, and more good points for the thread.

I would advise @Pauline to take a friend if she does decide to visit court in any way. It might be quite emotional to see the robbers, whatever their outlook or disposition may be.

Having been burgled many many times when I lived in the North, I know too well the strong feelings it creates. (Getting a dog eventually was the best deterrent, but I guess that doesn’t work so well for commercial properties in London!)

Thank you for your words of wisdom Mr, I’ve listened xxI need to go for my own frame of mind to see these idiots come to justice.

I was so upset so I need them idiots to feel that way too, thats if they have feelings.

No friend on this, this is something I have to do on my own

Three members of a gang who stole cash from me on a bus were caught on CCTV in the act.

The British Transport Police told me they were not going to ask me to go to Court to give evidence as the danger was that I would have a brick thrown through my window or worse.

After speaking to @Anotherjohn today I won’t go to court.

I’m so cross I can’t face them, but in this day and age it wouldn’t just be me at risk.

If it was only me I would be there in a heartbeat.

But I have to think about putting my kids at risk firstly, then also my neighbours both at home and at the shop…

I hate having to think this way, but I have to make sure others are safe & I don’t put them at risk.

I’m truly gutted and angry I have had to back down, but it’s the right thing to do to keep all safe .

My mum got mugged many many years ago. They got the toe rags & she was awarded compensation. She was a very nervous woman anyway & in her mid-60s, but she wouldn’t go near the court because of reprisals. She didn’t care about the compensation, which was just as well as she only got one payment anyway. I know you are angry, & rightly so, but I think you are showing dignity in not going as the low life are not worth your presence.

Just to let everyone know I got another letter today to say the second person mentioned in the letter I posted previously has now received a 2 year sentence for breaking into my shop

Actually banged up or a ‘suspended’ sentence?

Yes, banged up as it said he is in custody