To feel like a criminal for owning this-what to do ethically?

[Necklaceowner]

Name changed obviously!

My ex gave me a diamond necklace and bracelet set while we were dating. We've been split for roughly five years and it was given to me early on in the relationship so quite a long time ago now.

I found out about my ex's chequered past in a 'drip feed' while dating them.

I have recently learned that this jewelry was obtained via a house burglary.

It's not worth mega but enough, roughly about £800 second hand.

I guess I've absolutely no chance of finding its rightful owner-ex can't even remember which burglary it was nor which town it was in although not many to choose from.

I absolutely love it, I only ever wore it on occasion as It's rather 'blingy'.

A friend has suggested I put it up on various local FB pages explaining how I obtained it and asking if anyone had it stolen but this seems that it still could end up with someone who hadn't ever owned it, and could open a can of worms for me/my abusive ex.

What would you do?

Perhaps sell and give the money to a charity that supports victims of similar crimes?

You report it to the police of course and hand it over.

Can you contact police, they will have contacts in insurance companies and may be able to trace owner.

Give it to the police surely?

I wouldn’t post on FB. Police will have records of what was stolen. Maybe this could even see the thieving sod locked up.

I guess I've absolutely no chance of finding its rightful owner

That's not your job. Hand it over to the police, and let them find the owner.

Don’t post on FB, anyone could claim it.

It does seem a bit of a waste to just hand them to police as it’s so unlikely they’d get back to the original owners but I couldn’t enjoy wearing them either. I think I’d have to donate them to a charity shop to sell or something (or would that open them up to getting in trouble?).

You could post it to the police station anonymously with a note saying "believed to be proceeds of crime".

What you can't do is sell it even if you give the money to charity as if it was took off the buyer as proceeds of crime they have been duped. It isn't yours to sell.

An expensive item like that would have been reported in the burglary. It won’t open a can of worms for you, just tell the truth - it was a gift and you‘ve now discovered that it was obtained in a house robbery, and so you want it to be reunited with its rightful owner. They’ll appreciate that it’s not your fault and you couldn’t possibly have known.

The police, with a rough idea of the towns it could have been.

And I’m not sure why you think handing it into the police would open a can of worms but being caught selling stolen goods wouldn’t!

Police.
It’s nice of you to think of the owner from whom it was taken.

If the police can't reunite with the rightful owner proceeds of crime are sold at auction with the money ploughed back into policing I believe so even if the owner can't be traced the result is still fitting to the situation.

Thanks all.

Well I guess I am a bit against telling the police as I worked for them for 12 years. They won't do anything IME. Just stick it in their property stores forever. Complicated by not even knowing which police force it would be in the region of.

The burglary was maybe not even reported given my ex used to only do this sort of thing to other criminals.

I'll have a think.

There is a register of stolen items like this - I used to work in a an auction house and we would receive it regularly so that we could spot anything stolen that was brought in for sale. If you try to sell, you are very likely to find yourself on the receiving end of a visit from the constabulary. You must hand it in to the police. There might be a reward for doing so. Those items could have sentimental, as well as financial, value for someone.

You're not sure your ex actually nicked it, you've just heard that.
If you like it, keep it and wear it occasionally. Nobody is going to know and if it did cause questions, you know nothing about where it came from; it was a gift from an old boyfriend and at the time you presumed he'd bought it.

The sentimental value is definitely what is making me feel sad about this. It could have been a gift or a family heirloom.

Surely it’s better sat in police property stores than in your cupboard though? Either way it’s not with its rightful owner.

You know it's stolen. The police might not do anything with it other than put it in storage but you don't know that for definite. Handing it in, as you are legally required to do with items you know are stolen, at least means there's a chance of it going back to the person it was stolen from.

What makes me sad is that some poor folk were then terrified to be alone in their own house. Their kids afraid to go to bed alone. If you try to benefit from a house burglary you should be ashamed.

How certain are you that police won't do anything with it?

Doesn't handed in found property get given back to the person handing it in if no owner is found?

Yes, the police won't do anything with it.

Yes, It's very sad. I've been burgled before. At a time where I had next to nothing. They took a knackered old TV, a purse containing about £30 and a couple of other bits and bats that might have been saleable again for very little.

When I worked for the police we did a course on burglaries where they'd interviewed prisoners (I think they got a reduced sentence in return) about who they would and wouldn't burgle.

From memory most people said that without question they'd never enter a house known to occupy a dog. No matter the size.

Most also said they'd never enter somewhere without a clear escape route.

Surprisingly, a lot said they'd take everything but never someone's TV. Many said they'd never burgle an elderly person.

This time of year is rife because people buy presents and dispose of original packaging and/or receipts in outside bins once said present is wrapped up.

It's very sad.

@Grimchmas I am not certain on that to be honest. Not something I was privy to-most of my dealings with property were marveling at how many years it had been sitting there collecting dust.

Yes, they do. Antiques and jewellery are recognisable, usually photographed in case of loss, and are frequently recovered and returned to their owners when attempts are made to sell them. I have first hand experience of this over years.

Perhaps it is regional. Not my experience at all. I still speak to some people from my old job at the police so I will ask them as a starting point. Thank you :)

You have to hand this item into the Police, and the fact that up you used to work for them makes this even more clean cut. Knowing what you know, you cannot sell or give this necklace away. I am surprised you even have to ask to be honest.