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Original poster

Found a phone in my garden - isolated property - shit scared

791 replies

ScarredBunny · 24/04/2020 19:12

Name changed for this - Sorry if this seem trivial, I know people are dealing with far bigger things at the moment.

I found a phone lying on the ground, about 5 yards from my house.

We live in an isolated property about a mile away from the first road. We have not have any visitors , maintenance people for many weeks (obviously). Delivery drivers, yes, but they would not have any reason to go to this part of the garden/couldn't access it during daytime without us seeing something.
At first I assumed it belonged to one of us, but no! Confused
Phoned the police, have a ref./case number, etc. but they're busy and will get back to us when they can.
The police said to take the phone indoors and wait for their call/visit.

I am worried that the next visit is going to be from whomever the phone belongs to.
The phone is dead as a dodo but I assume it still can be found?

What should do?

OP posts:
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Original poster
ScarredBunny · 29/04/2020 13:38

@Branster - I didn't think it was a person when I left the dog! Shock
The dog didn't come with me when I went close to that corner either so dog and I are even I think Grin
I can't catch this dog if he doesn't want to be caught, and even if you manage to get hold of him he's too strong/ mobile/big to keep hold of. He's never bit any of us but nipped when playing when he was younger; his teeth are so sharp and he has the strongest jaw of any dog I've had so although not impossible with equipment, I don't think he's susceptible to be taken.
That corner is made of two smooth brick walls. There's nowhere to perch - I've just checked again. (There's no fox poo either, but that's gone for me now.)
Absolutely, whoever it was was scarred by the dog (and me perhaps haha) and will think twice before trying again.

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Original poster
ScarredBunny · 29/04/2020 13:22

@sergeilavrov - I cannot bear to think about them being interested by someone in the house.
However, wcs, if it was; does the fact that they lost their phone and were unprepared for a dog mean they'd potentially be a less dangerous type of person?
Thank you re.car
I've been checking the back of my car before getting in not all the time but according to situations, for many years. I taught my DCs to do it, DH would never do it. I've been wondering if I wasn't OTT, if it wasn't more of a lore than a threat, as I am not aware there is a contract on our headsGrin it might seem silly, but it's no bother to do and on the off-chance, could save a lot of trouble.
I'd always listen to the advice of someone who has had this issue working in Lebanon a number of times
Thank you for the car explanation and the offer re. where more info can be found, I'd very much appreciate it.

If you have the time and inclination, there has been a poster here, Avalanche-something whose posts where strange and on re-read, extremely creepy; demand for info, prediction, date given.

OP posts:
Branster · 29/04/2020 13:16

That’s so scary OP! Good job you didn’t put two and two together at the time, you might have got yourself into trouble.

Dogs do look towards what they are barking at, unless they bark from below a high window and can’t see what they are barking at scenario. But it could have been something small up on a tree or bush. Not necessarily a taller person than you. Or maybe a tiny person perched up on a branch in the dark corner.
Sorry I couldn’t help myself I have this mental image of a glow in the dark fairy your dog was barking at.

It’s very likely it was a person. Usually they wouldn’t want any confrontation that’s why they ran away. It could be a good for nothing teenager not necessarily a scary looking grown man. Also, now that they know you were all out and about at that ungodly hour they won’t bother coming back.

Did you investigate the dark corner in daylight, was anything worth noting in there?

Your dog did his job even though you abandoned him out there on his own with the bad person on the premises. At least they didn’t steal the dog! 😁

LilacTree1 · 29/04/2020 12:40

OP sorry to say, without knowing the details, I thought your dog was barking at a person.

but the person ran away and knows you have a dog so that's good...?

are you going to get any additional security things? I wouldn't for a one off but maybe if it gives you more peace of mind?

YinMnBlue · 29/04/2020 12:40

Could support the drone theory?

Original poster
ScarredBunny · 29/04/2020 12:37

Sad anyone interested?

OP posts:
Original poster
ScarredBunny · 29/04/2020 12:24

Hi All,
My dog was looking UP at something whilst barking towards that dark corner, sort of head high, taller than me. He was not looking down or at his own level like he would have done for an animal.

Replying to @Branster last night, I sort of 'went back' there and ping, that memory and its significance clicked together; 1/the dog was looking up, 2/so not an animal. There's nothing to perch on on that corner, smooth brick walls.
Sorry if it reads like drip drip - it's really not.

It means it was not an animal after all, but probably a person, right? Opinions please? Any dog people? Thank you!

(not so)Brief recap for those who can be bothered to still think about my case Grin :
The night before I found the phone, I left the dog out before going up to bed. (I think was around 1.30am, might have been later)

  • As soon as he stepped outside , dog started running towards something and barking, I didn't look to see what.
  • The barking goes on and on, it could be anything, bird rabbit, fox, etc.
  • I give it a few moments, make a hot drink etc.
  • The barking is really loud and sustained, this has gone on for long enough, I turn the outdoor lights on and go outside to get the dog.
  • He doesn't respond to me at all, doesn't let me drag him from his spot.
  • I notice a big scarf moving in the wind on the washing line, its shadow moving right next to the dark corner; I go, take it down, show it to the dog so he sees it's okay.
  • Dog totally ignores me, carries on staring, barking, I leave him to it, go back inside, turn outdoors lights off, bed. A while later DH goes to open the backdoor to the Dog wanting to be let in.}

Talking with DH, we now think: someone was on the grass, with their phone - I turn the light on in the kitchen, they move from that now lit up spot of grass, leaving their phone behind - they get cornered in the dark corner by the dog - (it means they were in that dark corner when I went outside) - they manage to get away from the dog after a while - dog's job done, he wants to come inside.

Hmm Now I sound more and more like Aunt Ada Doom who '... saw something nasty in the woodshed' and never lets go Grin, any Flora Poste around to sort me out?

OP posts:
DysonFury · 29/04/2020 10:58

Not sure if this has already been considered, but perhaps the phone was one of those items which just disappears, never to be seen again and fell through a black hole into your garden?

sergeilavrov · 29/04/2020 10:43

@ScarredBunny No problem, happy to help more. If someone is observing the house, that could mean two different things: they’re interested in the property, or they’re interested in the people. The latter is more dangerous, and tends to be more sophisticated. All car alarms and locks can be bypassed, no matter how good people claim them to be. Even so, keep your car locked to prevent facilitating easy entry even if you’re just stepping away for a few moments. One way to initiate control over a person is to break in and hide in the foot well immediately behind the driver seat, wait until driving has begun and reached a non built up area, and pull the seatbelt back or reach around the driver to gain control. This would be a serious, difficult and scary situation. You can avoid this simply by reversing into your drive, meaning you have to pass the back seats to get into the car and any potential assailant has to get closer to the house to get entry, and teaching yourself to just glance into the back windows and quickly scan for any evidence of presence. Think inexplicably fogged up windows, trash moved, or of course a person of interest. Sounds silly, but we had this issue working in Lebanon a number of times.

I work in a field with some crossover to security, but aside from seeking out a consultant I’m not sure. I’d hope the police would offer similar advice, but I’ll do some digging and see where people can access this info. In the meantime, I’m happy to answer questions as best I can if it helps.

MyShinyWhiteTeeth · 29/04/2020 08:06

I think it's either a prospective burglar casing the joint or a peeping Tom.

I think extra security and cctv sounds a good idea.

In the late seventies we had a peeping Tom perving on my mum. We found male dirty pants in the garden. Her lingerie went missing from the washing line and plants in the garden and the wall were damaged. We'd heard someone in the garden several times but never saw anything. My dad came back from working overseas and it stopped. There was a man two houses away who had been spoken to by the police about flashing at teenage girls. We suspected him

LaMarschallin · 29/04/2020 07:49

The compact & bijou holiday cottage will wash its own face from day one ; the suckers, I mean, guests will be the security!

The bit I've added the underlining to is a new phrase to me - love it and plan to plagiarise it ruthlessly Smile

(Have to admit I started following this thread in the hope AvalancheKit would return and reprise her weirdness. Presumably, that's not going to happen...)

TheMotherofAllDilemmas · 29/04/2020 07:40

@DanFmDorking, that book will need a twist in the tale, something like what did the mystery thief/peeping tom/tourist saw through the window that made them run leaving their phone behind and why no body he has never been found.

(Sorry op, couldn’t resist it, but may add to the sales Grin)

Bettysnow · 29/04/2020 07:20

You sound a bit more upbeat which is greatSmile I know the police are busy but don't think it would hurt to give them a call and ask if they've made any headway with the phone? I personally would probably have them tormented and likely get myself charged with harassment!
A couple of thorn trees wouldn't go amiss in those dark cornersGrin

Branster · 29/04/2020 06:20

It was an iPhone 8 which was the latest model back then, no cover so slippery. I remember she did get a replacement and, not long after, the iphone 10 came out and we were talking about it that if it happened a bit later at least she could have upgraded.

I don’t understand how these people loose their phones left, right and centre hopping around people’s gardens. I’m not in the habit of prowling around at night, but whenever I go out walking without a bag I always make sure my phone is secure in a zipped pocket. Although if it’s a burglar, it’s likely to be a stolen phone so there’s no monetary loss for them and maybe they don’t use it to keep information like most of us do (kids’ photos, phone book, diary, work stuff etc).

Branster · 29/04/2020 06:05

DanFmDorking the designs are brilliant!!!

Loving the t-shirts too ScarredBunny 😁

Yes, I still jump out of my skin when I see them, but it’s always, always been a fox.
We now have security lights for the entire perimeter of the garden so it does feel better.
My dog would loose a stand off with a butterfly, he’s a real softie. I think he’s braver inside the house than in the garden.
I’m actually glad you didn’t investigate the dark corner any further. Phew!
From what we pieced together after the break in, these people were watching waiting for us to go to bed, that’s what annoyed me most, to think I was out in the garden last thing whilst I let the dog out before going to sleep and someone was watching us and they could also see inside part of the downstairs if they would have been watching from above the wall throughout the entire evening. And it turns out they’ve been in the garden the night before doing a rekkie.
It really was simply because the dog raised the alarm that we went to investigate. Actually ignored the dog first on the basis that he might be barking at a fox but he was barking differently than usual. Bastards! Anyway lesson learned and luckily they dropped everything they took whilst escaping.

Original poster
ScarredBunny · 29/04/2020 05:23

@sergeilavrov - Just re-read your post, thank you again for so much details. Very interesting, I've saved it fo reference. You say Always, always, always check the back seat before getting in your car.
Could you expand on that please? Do you know where I can find more of the type of information you gave? Thank you!

OP posts:
Original poster
ScarredBunny · 29/04/2020 01:19

Yes sorry @JKScot4, I meant to give you a copyright mention Grin Is this what you had in mind?

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Original poster
ScarredBunny · 29/04/2020 01:17

@DanFmDorking - More sue for copyrights like! Grin Out of interest I thought you couldn't take these images from the window?

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JKScot4 · 29/04/2020 01:14

🥰🥰🥰🥰
I’m honoured you’ve used my combination
🤣🤣🤣🤣

Original poster
ScarredBunny · 29/04/2020 01:13

So before that breakthrough I posted pics of teeshirts for the gift shop but they're nowhere, I'll try again:

Do you think there is a market for these:

Found a phone in my garden - isolated property - shit scared
Found a phone in my garden - isolated property - shit scared
OP posts:
Original poster
ScarredBunny · 29/04/2020 00:56

@Branster - I'm sorry you had a break in Flowers and glad that there were no bad consequences. You and I have drawn the same conclusions, it's a warning and let's sharpen up. I feel very fortunate too to have found a clue, we might as well have never known and could have been in for a nasty surprise. At least now we are warned and (almost completely) ready. Very lucky.
Every now and then I see a pair of eyes in the dark on a wall errr... Bloody hell, that's a bit startling!
And what was your friend's phone like? Wink (Hoping for an amazing twist)
I've only ever seen one fox around here, quite a while ago and posters here have said that the dog wouldn't stare and bark at a fox but would go for it and that a fox would always run from a dog so I'd almost completely dismissed the fox theory. However, that dark corner the dog was barking at; maybe it was a fox cornered and with no other choice but to cower my dog.

Shock OMG - FFF- I've just remembered something. When my dog was barking at the dark corner, he was staring up, not down like for a fox.
I looked to see what he could be worried about and next to the dark corner was the shadow this large scarf still on the washing line so I went to take it down to show him it was okay but he didn't stop barking and staring I thought about looking in the corner, but no, f. that, not looking in dark corners the dog is barking at in the middle of the night). He was barking at something sort of head high. He let me go there on my own too, the bugger.

OP posts:
JKScot4 · 28/04/2020 22:50

@DanFmDorking
German shepherd dog not a unicorn 🤣🤣

DanFmDorking · 28/04/2020 22:27
  • sigh -

The book rights are being negotiated as we speak.

Found a phone in my garden - isolated property - shit scared
TheVeryHungryTortoise · 28/04/2020 22:16

Following

DanFmDorking · 28/04/2020 22:03

Sorry - I forgot to reset the throgmorton value.

This should be a better picture.

Found a phone in my garden - isolated property - shit scared