Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to be furious that this isn’t illegal?

349 replies

YetAnotherHastyNameChange · 28/04/2021 13:20

During Covid myself and another few mums in my area have been visiting and delivering food parcels to elderly people whose families have been unable to visit. During this time I’ve made some really good friends with some of the old ladies and now the dc are back at school I’ve been still visiting a couple of them to help out and have a catch up and chat with them.

One particular lady is really lovely, absolutely hilarious but quite frail and her house really is a tip. Her family who live a distance away pay for a cleaner to go in weekly but as the lady is always there she never lets the cleaner actually do much other than the bathroom and all the books and stuff she’s hoarded for years is still piled up everywhere. A couple of weeks ago her family collected her and took her back to their house now restrictions have eased and booked the cleaner to go in as normal but hoping she could throw a few bits out - really not important things but there’s stacks of magazines from the 90’s, endless Tupperware that doesn’t match and the owner really won’t notice when she returns.

Anyway, cleaner goes in a discovers lots of things have been moved around so phones family to see if it’s them. It’s not them but they find out some internet blogger who visits ‘abandoned places’ has broken in somehow, dressed up in her clothes, sat on her bed, took loads of photos of all her possessions and posted it all online as a ‘time capsule house’. Family contact police who claim no laws have been broken as there’s no sign of a break in and he is claiming to have been invited in. Lady is now hugely embarrassed as everyone has seen what a mess she lives in and is refusing to come home again.

Having looked at this mans page he’s been going all round my local area and letting himself into people’s caravans, abandoned schools, loads of houses which he claims are abandoned but quite possibly just second homes that haven’t been visited for a while, taking photos in through people’s windows of houses that are clearly lived in, going into farms and photographing all the barns with animals, machinery that could be stolen, broke into a Victorian cinema that is currently being rebuilt by volunteers but is in a dodgy area so will now almost certainly just get trashed.

How is this not illegal? Why is he allowed to do this? So many people have complained on his page that he’s been in their barn/ photographing their dining room while they were out etc. and he just blocks them from the page.

He’s getting loads of views on these pages so more and more people are going to start doing this, surely? I find it outrageous behaviour and can’t believe the police won’t intervene.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
8
ZeroFuchsGiven · 28/04/2021 15:52

@thenightsky

This is from his FB page. Doesn't look very 'abandoned' to me.
I think that is one of the NT pics.
YetAnotherHastyNameChange · 28/04/2021 15:56

thenightsky that’s Saltram House, a beautiful National Trust property that he’s broken into

OP posts:
Imissmoominmama · 28/04/2021 15:56

He has copyrighted his photos- the irony!

diddl · 28/04/2021 15:56

@thenightsky

This is from his FB page. Doesn't look very 'abandoned' to me.
Perhaps that's the NT property that he got into?

Also is there nothing about the photos of properties that are lived in/2nd homes that he puts up?

Warmduscher · 28/04/2021 15:59

OP, where did the photo come from of him sitting in someone’s front room pretending to drink a cup of tea?

GerryManderson · 28/04/2021 15:59

@Imissmoominmama

He has copyrighted his photos- the irony!
Exactly what I thought!! The horrible little pettish twat.

Anyway, I very much doubt he has. Just an empty threat methinks.

Thesearmsofmine · 28/04/2021 16:02

A photo from one of his house explores, no dust at all.

AIBU to be furious that this isn’t illegal?
YetAnotherHastyNameChange · 28/04/2021 16:03

warmduscher it was just one of the ones on his FB page.

OP posts:
Viviennemary · 28/04/2021 16:03

What nonsense. If he's been breaking into houses belonging to old people then of course its a police matter. Somebody has got their wires crossed here.

Warmduscher · 28/04/2021 16:08

Ok, so he is the person in the YouTube videos.

His commentary makes him sound like he thinks he’s some kind of wild and intrepid explorer.

He’s just a sad wanker who needs to get a job, from what I can see.

sergeilavrov · 28/04/2021 16:11

What a scumbag. You mentioned there is a nearby rough area? Lots going through tough financial times. Perhaps a whip round might help them return the favour and politely make sure he knows he will be stopping this behaviour. Police can’t be bothered to do much even for very violent offences,

One day he will pick the wrong house and the police will no doubt come down heavily on the poor person who defender their property.

Thesearmsofmine · 28/04/2021 16:13

His response to someone asking him if he is ever tempted to take things from the places he visits

Ican understand why some people do take things because we dont get paid for doing this it's a hobby and yes you come across alot of valuables but I live by a code when exploring, I don't take anything and I don't cause any damage to property.. it defeats the purpose of what I love doing and I have more respect for who once lived there than to take anything 👌 it's not a silly question I get asked all the time lol welcome to my page

What bloody code is that then? One that means he can frighten and upset elderly people?

CleverCatty · 28/04/2021 16:23

@giletrouge

Jesus that's outrageous! I'd be camping out at the police station until they took it seriously. Can you get together with some of his other victims OP and demand some action or consult a solicitor or something? Entitled little shit doesn't even start to cover it...
100% agreed with this.

what an entitled arsey chancer with more front and brass neck than a monkey.

If I were the victim's family I would be furious on her behalf and trying to take some sort of legal action. does trespass cover it?

Heronsnest · 28/04/2021 16:23

This has made me feel incredibly sad - as well as raging.

CleverCatty · 28/04/2021 16:24

@MyDcAreMarvel

I had no idea it was legal to enter someone’s home!
is that with or without being asked?
RedcurrantPuff · 28/04/2021 16:24

Even if they did provide a statement, if he says he was invited in, where is the evidence to prove otherwise? It is unlikely a court would convict him.*

Well the statement of the person saying they didn’t invite him in would be a start Confused

Also is he known to any of the people? How likely is it someone would invite a stranger into their house in a pandemic?

CleverCatty · 28/04/2021 16:25

@memberofthewedding

Maybe one day there will be hooded people with baseball bats waiting to welcome him.
knowing this bellend he'd claim they'd attacked him and would get them charged with GBH/ABH etc.
CleverCatty · 28/04/2021 16:27

@MissConductUS

You really need stronger trespassing laws in the UK.
definitely - a change in the law needs to happen.
JackieTheFart · 28/04/2021 16:29

This is truly shocking. I quite like some of the urban explorer types, this has really left a nasty taste in my mouth.

How can it possibly be legal? I don’t understand how just because he says he was allowed, the police won’t take action? Surely the woman whose house it is has said no, I don’t know this man he has broken in!

He’s going to wonder why so many hits to his Facebook page now.

diddl · 28/04/2021 16:29

"Even if they did provide a statement, if he says he was invited in, where is the evidence to prove otherwise? It is unlikely a court would convict him."

That the property was empty at the time as the person who lives there was staying with family?

suckingonchillidogs · 28/04/2021 16:31

This is awful. I'd love to put a comment saying 'actually this is my nan's house, she's only having a fortnight in Skegness' and see if he shits himself!

RedcurrantPuff · 28/04/2021 16:34

Just looked at the page, what a total prick of a guy.

How likely is it houses are just “abandoned”. Even ones in poor repair are generally worth something and are a valuable asset.

Hope he breaks into a condemned building soon and gets his head bashed in by a piece of falling masonry.

Sweetpeasaremadeforbees · 28/04/2021 16:35

@suckingonchillidogs

This is awful. I'd love to put a comment saying 'actually this is my nan's house, she's only having a fortnight in Skegness' and see if he shits himself!
I doubt he'll give a toss. He doesn't have that many views on Youtube and unfortunately I increased it (but I did dislike it as well) and he probably thinks there's no such thing as bad publicity.

I'm not a fan of vigilantes but I'd make an exception for this twat.

diddl · 28/04/2021 16:36

Wonder how many of these properties that he "gains entry to" have someone vulnerable either living in them or away at the time?

IvyTwines2 · 28/04/2021 16:41

@NoBetterthanSheShouldBe

Harassment? Interfering with the quiet enjoyment of one’s home? Going equipped to burgle? Breach of privacy?
If the person whose house it is has a disability ('hoarding disorder') maybe it could be classed as a hate crime against a disabled person?