do you ever wonder if you have done the right thing........having major wobbles and thinking 'Oh CRAP!'........

[psychomum5]

friday night I witnessed a crime outside my house, and called the police. there were knives involved, two women (one of who got hit.....I thought stabbed at the time but seems she got 'lucky' and she was not stabbed.......still injured tho), and three men were arrested.

I spent three hours on saturday giving statement, and since then have been asigned an SPT person (I am considered a vunerable witness due to proximity and the children) who has rung me regularly to ensure I am ok, and there has been regular police presence in the street.......all good, you would think.

but I have spent today feeling very scared and wobbly and wondering if I have done the right thing. I may need to go to court....that TERRIFIES me. I am not sure I am strong enough for this!

BUT

it is my social responsibilty..............so I am feeling guilty for the wobbles.

help..............tell me I am doing the right thing, and that it will work out ok.

please.

You've been very brave. It will be ok in the end. It sounds like you are getting lots of support, which is good. You might not need to go to court, so don't worry about that until it happens!

I can't tell you it will work out OK, but I can say that I hope with all my heart that it does.

And I can say that I think 100% you did the right thing.

We all feel wobbles, but we will all feel more secure knowing that we are looking out for each other and that there are good people like you to stand up and be counted.

FWIW, I'd have done the same thing, and would be feeling the same thing as you now.

NSSA x

see....that is what I need.

thankyou

crossing fingers I won;t be needed I have to say!

You have been very brave adn did the right thing. If more people reported teh crimes they witnessed less criminals would get away it.
You may not have to go to court, and even if you do, it will all be fine, they will look after you.

Well done

psycho - you did a good thing and I for one am glad there are people willing to stand up and be counted. My ds2 was attacked a few months ago by a gang with a knife and thankfully a couple in a house nearby helped him and took him in.

I know it's a worry - the youths who attacked ds2 are out on bail and know who he is - it's made me quite nervous TBH.

oh no saggers. is he (and you) getting support for it? this is terrifying enough without being the actual victim.

I so so so hope I won;t be needed. I will do it (as you all say, more people need to stand up against these thugs), but it is scary and worrying as I am sure they will be able to work out who reported them.

it is 'comeback' I am worried about, altho the SPT person has told me out tel'no' is on 'red alert' should we ring 999 for any reason.

Not much support TBH The police were fab at the time but it feels like we've just been left to get on with it (although I'm not sure what they could do anyway).

I'm hoping they'll plead guilty so ds doesn't have to go to court.

snap on my part too, re them leading guilty!

for you at them leaving you to get on with it!

bumping for more back rubbing and telling me it will be fine.

You did the right thing, psycho.

Saggars, is it worth contacting victim support?

thankyou.

You absolutely did the right thing. Are you seriously telling me you'd have kept quiet about it? We need more people like you so you should be proud. You might not have to go to court. It WILL be ok.

no. I wouldn't have kept quiet, you are right.

I guess it is just so big and scary (well, maybe, if it does go to court).

and I am wobbling about if they find out it was me, even tho the police have been great and reassuring so far.

you just hear bad stuff don;t yoou, and then imagination runs away with you.......

I had to go to court as a witness (the prime witness!) in a road rage incident. I, too, was scared witless BUT I have to say the people in court were great. They had special volunteers to meet and greet; they showed me an empty court room and showed me where everyone would be sitting; they explained who'd ask me questions and to whom I should address the answers (the jury!). They made it clear that I should always ask for clarification of questions (the defence lawyer DID try to imply I MUST have been mistaken about what I saw, but I just said "Like I just explained to you, in detail, THIS is what I saw/ LIKE I said in my statement..."!). Don't waffle on. Answer the question asked, no more.

In this case, the jury couldn't make their minds up (!!) and it looked as if it'd go to retrial but fortunately for me the defendant decided to plead guilty after all in the interim.

It IS all a bit nerve wracking but at the end of the day, you're performing your public duty and you have to ask yourself how you'd feel if it was your DC who was the victim of a nasty crime- but the witnesses pulled out, collapsing the case.

Remember you can ask to be an anonymous witness- in the case I attended, coincidentally both parties transpired to know each other! SO the 'victim' stood behind a screen which WAS a bit extreme, really,seeing as the incident wasn't anything as violent as you've described.

Good luck.

You've done the right thing, which is presumably what you'd have liked someone to do for you if you'd been in the victims' shoes.

Good luck

thankyou both. yes, I would expect it of someone if I was in the victims shoes, so to speak.

telsagirl, thankyou for your explaination of how it works. you watch all the court dramas but it doesn't really tell you what it is like in RL.

feel less wobbly today. have not heard anything from the police since sunday.....not sure if that is a good thing or not.

hey ho, what will be wil be........((my feeling right now at least, might change completely tomorrow))

Just remember that you did what was right, what you would have liked someone to do for you.

I hope it all works out OK but you have everyright to think that you did the right thing!!