To think friends DS has stolen my iPad?

[tiffanygoldduck]

Quite sensitive and very upset I’m having to post this.

My best friends son (14) has stolen from us before- last time it was a games console

Basically what happened was- DDs old PlayStation 4 (she just stopped using it) was sat in the wardrobe in our spare room. Friends son came to stay for the weekend and obviously took it then. Few months later DD asked me where it was, we couldn’t find it and I remembered my friend saying her son had brought himself a PS4 and she didn’t know where the money had come from. Basically I sent her a text a long the lines of “I don’t wish to accuse him, but DDs PS4 is missing is there any chance the one your DS has hers”. Didn’t have a problem with him keeping it in honesty, even though I was a bit pissed off he had just helped himself, but friend made him give it back a long with flowers for me and a gift voucher for DD. And so it was left at that.

Anyway he came and stayed again about 3 weeks ago- and then yesterday when he was here with my friend, asked to use my iPad. I hardly ever use it and told him I didn’t know where it was. He just came out with it randomly with a bit of a sly look- he had been happy enough on his phone, which was charging, for over 3 hours

Anyway the cogs in my brain started turning today and I’ve turned the house, the cars, had my mum looking in hers and DH looking at work. Neither him or our DDs have reason to take it as they all have their own. Regardless I asked them and all have said they haven’t seen it or used it.

It’s literally disappeared.

AIBU to bring it up with my friend?

Why did you have him back again when he’s already stolen from you?

A pretty fair question right there ...

I'm with @Pinkprincess1978
Just ask your friend to ask him where he left it as you can't find it. That way you aren't accusing him, but you may get the answer you need

Maybe he’ll bring it back with him when he comes round for his next holiday, op
Why won’t you explain why this kid is staying over so often? All sounds very, very fishy...

@tiffanygoldduck have you got it back yet?

Why did you have him back again when he’s already stolen from you?

Real life isn't black and white, it's not hard to imagine that there may be many reasons that the OP doesn't want to tell her friend she doesn't want anything more to do with her tealeaf son which would no doubt be the end of the friendship

I'd call the police on the thieving little cunt. Can't believe your let him back in the house!

Not really got much sympathy for you, but I appreciate you aren't actually asking for any.

He's obviously nicked it. The PS4 wasn't a one off, he will have built up to that.

You must have a pretty fucked up relationship with his mum to let him back in your house after the PS4 incident. 99 people out of 100 would have banned your DC from associating with him , and he obviously wouldn't have been allowed anywhere near the house.

As it stands, whether it turns up or not, I would message his mum and say yhat whilst you appreciate the return of PS4 and voucher, on reflection you are not comfortable having him on your property. You can mention that you can't find your IPAD , and it well may have nothing to do with her DS but it's briught ut home to you how serious the other proven incident was.

Hope you manage to get it back OP

What’s his behaviour like the rest of the time?

I imagine OP let the boy back into her home because she's such close friends with his mother and didn't want to sour things between them

But equally, the friend could have thought the same, as in "I think the world of Tiffany, so there's no way I'm risking putting her through that again"

But equally, the friend could have thought the same, as in "I think the world of Tiffany, so there's no way I'm risking putting her through that again"

Yes, it would've been nice if she had been that considerate. Apparently she didn't think it was a risk, or wasn't that worried about it, one way or the other. She may be in denial that her son's a budding thief. After the apology and gifts, she likely told herself that it was all water under the bridge.

Unless the friend decided to keep her son out of OP's house "just in case", it would still be on OP to say he wasn't allowed over, which would probably have created awkwardness between the friends.

Of course, if it turns out that the iPad has been stolen, too, her friend will have to understand that he may no longer be welcome (or unsupervised) in OP's home, even if it does make her friend sad or uncomfortable.

Have you traced it's location yet?

Why would you let him back to stay. His mum made him give it back, he wasn’t sorry!