Anyone else ever been burgled?

[Bijou23]

Feeling rather down and invaded of my privacy and debating wether to live here anymore.

Does the crime ever get solved/people prosecuted? .... I guess with lack of not much evidence they will get away with it again and again

What has peoples experience of burglaries been.

Hoping tomorrow will be a better day.

We were burgled a few years ago. The burglar was eventually caught after burgling someone else. The police drove him round the area so he could identify other houses he had done so they could be taken into consideration for his sentencing. I dont know what sentence he got, but probably not a lot.

Its a shit feeling, but it will get better.

We had a very close call, the lock was snapped and door open but the dog barked and it clearly scared them off. This was at 2.35am, we were a sleep. We slept in the lounge for the next 3 nights and our house house is locked up like fort knox. The police did come out and said 100% they were after car keys. That was in August and I still dont feel 100% secure.

Sorry this has happened to you OP, it's awful

When I was about 10 DP's and I had been out for the day - DM is someone who nearly always leaves blinds tilted and a lamp on timer however this time the place we were at when shopping had a fire alarm (restaurant fire) so by the time we were outside waiting for the brigade then allowed back inside then eventually got home, it was much later than anticipated so the house had the blinds wide open, not lights on and obvious no one was home. We always used the back gate and door and I remember there being a bike outside our gate which was down an alleyway, when we got to our back door DM noticed the blinds in the kitchen had been pulled back, then DM realised the window had been removed (they cut the window seal) then there was this really loud noise and the burglar came running down our stairs and was in the front room, we saw him frantically trying to get out - DM and me were screaming and DF legged it next door to get them to phone the police. Burglar broke the front room window to get out and DF got in his car and chased him and another as far as he could but they got away over fields. DP's had so much taken, especially DM's jewellery. Nothing was every recovered and they were never caught. Safe to say not long after they had a house alarm installed. It took me a good few years to feel safe staying in that house again. Some people are just awful

I was burgled when I was a teenager. It still has a effect on me now. I was pretty traumatised by it actually. They stole completely replaceable things, but the idea of people being in the house while we slept was awful.

Police didn't even attempt to solve it.

Yes, twice. Once as a child in the middle of the night when we were all asleep upstairs, and once a few years ago mid-afternoon when we were all out. It's awful isn't it?

Yes, I got back after collecting my son from nursery after work to glass all over the floor from where a brick had been used to smash our window, and all of my jewellery gone. Muddy footprints everywhere and all of our bedroom furniture uprooted with clothes everywhere. I was devastated. One saving grace was that they hadn't been in my children's bedrooms. We had their faces on CCTV but they were never caught. CSI didn't bother turning up for over 24 hours so we had to stay up all night guarding the back door that was smashed open. We also have gravel in the first part of the outdoor space, so it was all just mixed in with smashed glass meaning that my son couldn't go outside safely for a very long time. Initially I thought we would never feel safe again, but we do. We didn't, and still don't, have the money to move house so perhaps that made us more focused on moving on.

Yes. Horrible experience. Never got to the bottom of it. Horrid having to deal with insurance. I think the person who did it had a key. No evidence of forced entry.

I’m so sorry OP, and to everyone that’s been in this situation.
It’s so far never happened to me but it did to my childhood best friend during the night, they stole all their Christmas presents from under the tree (about 3 weeks before), some jewellery and the passports. Probably some other things too but this was a very long time ago.
there we’re bike tracks in their garden and footprints in the bath but nothing ever came of it.
happened more recently to my sil, this was during the day and my nephew coming home on his bike scared them out of the back door (they then stole his bike presumably as a getaway vehicle). They took some really sentimental bequeathed jewellery, cash, laptops, musical instruments, there must have been more than one person to have gotten away with the amount of stuff they did. Never found who did it but they got a decent insurance payout to repurchase the things that could be replaced. Those sentimental items are irreplaceable though and had been in the family for over a century, sil was so upset and still is. There were muddy footprints over their bed, just so so intrusive and personal.

About 3 times many years ago when I lived more inner city. Police said drug driven. One was caught as he left blood stains from breaking glass, they identified him via his dna. He pleaded guilty but said he didn't remember doing it as he was off his head. I lived alone at the time. I bought a burglar alarm and improved security but was freaked out for a while

Yes they took cash jewelry electronic and trashed the whole house.

Horrible experience 😪

Once as a child, twice as a student in the same house and twice as an adult in the same house.
realising this seems like a lot now. It’s horrible for a while and I did feel jumpy when someone knocked on the door. Made me want to move the last time it happened but I got over it quite quickly and don’t feel unsafe. All were when out of the house.

Yes, a few years ago. They gained entry through a sash window that was locked. Some time during the night. We didn't hear a thing and didn't realise the next morning for 10 minutes or so. They took a lot of stuff but it was mainly electricals, laptops, cameras etc. A lot of moneys worth but nothing of sentimental value thankfully.
It didn't make us want to move. These things happen everywhere and anywhere. I think it's better to beef up the security on your home to give yourself the best protection you can.
I'm sorry it's happened to you and others. It's not a pleasant feeling knowing that strangers have been in your home and helped themselves.

It happened to me twice when I lived alone in a two up two down terrace in my early 20s. The first time they just smashed through my French window and took whatever they could throw into a laundry basket whilst my alarm blared and a kind neighbour came to investigate and scared them off. I lost my whole CD collection but my insurance company were brilliant and sent someone out to board up the door and replaced my whole music collection so I used it as a chance to replace some of the dodgier albums with better ones!

When I had the glass replaced I put in laminated glass so when I had another attempted break in about a year later they smashed the pane but couldn't actually get in. So still a hassle for me but nothing lost possession wise.

Third time was in my family home, we live rurally and only have one neighbour and we were both out just after Xmas seeing family and both houses were burgled. They ransacked the house looking for watches and jewellery and took about £10k worth of stuff. They also took a little locked box which contained personal things including letters from loved ones who have now passed away which was the most upsetting thing. The police were great and did their best to investigate but nothing was ever recovered.

Embarrassingly in their ransacking the burglars found my dildo and left it in the middle of the floor in my bedroom so it made it onto all the photos the police took

Sadly it is likely to happen again in your lifetime so I would say try to focus on the fact that nobody was hurt and you have insurance and things can generally be replaced. These people are usually high as kites and opportunistic.

My family home was burgled when I was a teenager, I’ve never gotten over it, never felt safe home alone even after moving out, moving cities etc.

Its a crime that shocks to the core as it makes you feel so vulnerable in your own home, my mind still thinks about all the what iffs, the police knew the 3 teens who burgled us had at least one knife, what if I had woken up whilst they were in my room, what if I’d have gone to the loo, what if my dad had woken up and tried to confront them.

The three teens in my case were never found, they knew it was 3 teens as they’d done others in the area and had some grainy footage that made it clear the number of them and rough age but that was it.

I'm on holiday in another city and have just heard we've been burgled. I'm not rushing back as I know we don't have much of value in the house. Plus, it's my child's birthday this weekend, and i would feel even more angry that they've ruined that too.
I don't know his I'll feel when I get back, though. I remember being burgled when I was a child, and it was terrifying

We were burgled about 25 years ago whilst we were on holiday, it’s an awful experience and inevitably something gets taken that’s of sentimental value. I was also the victim of a distraction street theft/mugging on holiday. In both cases I was determined not to let the scumbags make me feel like a victim. I beefed up security and became more streetwise. We lived happily at the house for a good few years and been back to the holiday place I was mugged.

If you’ve previously enjoyed living there then please don’t let them force you to move. If it’s recent then you might feel like moving right now but extra security will definitely help and you could stay

Yes ( not in uk though) horrendous experience and took me a long to get over it. They were caught strangely about 2 years later and they got 10 years in prison.

Twice.

One at home while we slept (made the mistake of leaving a small window open for air, they managed to reach in and open a bigger one to get in) they took cash, DVDs, my handbag and my car, which was found a month later abandoned.

Second time was on holiday - we went out for the night and came back to find a window of the house we were staying in had been smashed. Most stuff was in the safe but they took my kids electronics and spending money which was so upsetting. The local police came out with guns as they took it really seriously as they didn't want tourism becoming impacted I guess.

Yes, about 16 years ago, in my previous house. I work away and got back to find the place ransacked. Forensic people came out within an hour and the Police took a statement, then named the burglar, although he didn't leave fingerprints, or identifiable shoe prints.

It turns out that he'd burgled about 40 houses in our block of five terraces, in the week after getting out of prison. They knew it was him by the "MO" and just told the victims, seemingly in the hope that some of the men would get together and beat him up.

Two years ago, they got into my garage and stole my motorbike. It opens onto the back lane and the Police think that they had seen me come and go, then turned up with a van and had it away like that. It had a chain on the front wheel. My new one has a better chain and a ground anchor in the concrete.

So sorry to hear this happened to you OP, I hope things are better now?

I was burgled in 2018, single parent living alone with DC and it happened while I was at work the week before Christmas. Came home to wonder why the house felt so cold, discovered that the back door had been smashed in. All they took was a ring from my drawer - I don't have a jewellery box as I have nothing of value. Police took prints but never caught them, I was told it would have been someone looking for presents for their girlfriend for xmas.

The worst part of it for me was that nobody saw anything. It would have taken them about 20 minutes to get in (so said the police) as the side gate had been repeatedly kicked to get it open, and the back door smashing would have made a noise. It was during the day, on a busy road, lots of neighbours houses around that were in visual eyeline, but nobody saw a thing. When I went round all the neighbours asking if anyone had seen anything, nobody was interested and one of the neighbours actually told me it was my own fault as I sometimes left my bins out in my front yard. I was speechless. Moved not long after, horrible neighbourhood.

The knock on effect of having to declare it on my insurance every year (and the additional cost that brings despite it being no fault of my own), annoys me so much.

Yes by a mega thicko. I was very visible through the window inside the house if he’d done any kind of check.

he used a ladder to get in a back window and one of us saw him, shouted at him and he ran out again. Police caught him after he tried to burgle another house on the road a few mins later. Serial offender apparently.

Yes but the police weren’t interested as I lived in temporary accommodation. They would break in constantly and steal whatever they could find.

Twice as a child, so about 30 years ago. The first time i was about 8 and they took just the small TV from my parents bedroom - no other trace and i wasn't really affected by it. We were away for the weekend. The second time when i was about 12 we were away over Christmas but luckily because of the previous incident my mum was still hyper aware and had hidden all the presents in the garage. Still, this time was messier, they had taken more and broken things. One thing taken was my Sega game gear - a prize possession at the time. I remember being scared for a long while after and my mum who is not a nervous person at all was worse. We had a burglar alarm fitted after the second time and it was set every single night and every time we went out.

We were burgled as we slept. The frst we knew was when I came downstairs to see my front door open and a police officer talking into his radio. Someone had found my bag on the grass verge, realised what had happened and called the police.
So I can't fault the police response. They then sent someone round to take fingerprints, and informed the local neighbourhood watch (which resulted in someoneround the corner finding my work laptop hidden in their hedge (presumably to be picked up later)

They'd only taken what was in the hall (my handbag and work bag) so I didn't feel too traumatised at all. It was a 'force the door, grab and run' job. If they'd been in our living space, or worse, upstairs, it would have been much worse.

I've no idea whether they found out who did it. I assume not.

Yes, student flat. It was while we were all home for Christmas. I had nothing of value so didn't lose anything, but room was ransacked. I felt quite violated by it and spent a couple of nights at a youth hostel while I cleaned the room and got all my clothes service washed that had been taken out and thrown around the floor.