please help with robbery

[missy118]

hi please could you help me my daughters stepson has done a robbery at her motherinlaws (his grans house) he stole her jewlery and a few thousand in cash he had her key from the age of 12 he is 18 yrs old the police have arrested him as they found her money in his bedroom and he admitted he done it.

If his Gran does not want to press charges against him will the police press charges or what happens THANKS

[jackieandwayne]

I'm not sure about this case, but I do know that in some circumstances the matter can be taken out of our hands and prosecution go ahead - but I only know this to be so in serious things like rape, assault etc.

 

Not suggesting that this is not serious, of course it is. You hear it said of criminals don't you - "he'd rob his own granny".

 

I'm afraid I am a hardliner with youth crime - and before I tell you what I would do with him, please don't think I am advising you - its your family and only you know the circumstances - only I struggle to see what reason would ever make this acceptable.

 

So, if this were a member of my family, I'd throw the book at him - yes I'd get gran to make a complaint and have him charged and hang the consequences. How will he learn otherwise? I'd prefer to use stocks actually but apparently that's not allowed any more.

 

However, I do see your dilemma, a youngster about to get a criminal record and a blight on his whole life. A probably doting gran breaking her heart over it all. Is there a drug problem perhaps that made him do it? Is he likely to do this again to someone else? Only you know and I reckon your best way forward is to have a family meeting without him being there and then decide the best way forward. And then tell the so and so what is going to happen. And how he is going to pay back every penny. Any argument - throw the book at him.

 

I hope you get this sorted it must be making the entire family feel bad. If this were me I'd be handing out "warm bottoms" by now however big they are - but apparently we're not supposed to do that anymore either!

 

Someone with a legal mind will probably come along soon and advise as to what the police can or can't do if no complaint is made.

[missy118]

hi thank you for your reply i aggree with you and my daughter and his dad does we think she should press charges how else will he learn his lesson my daughter had him living with her and his dad for 6 months as his mum could not cope with him and chucked him out. Money and items went missing at there house while he was there, he went back to live with his mum as i think they had too many house rules. He had only been back there for 2 months when he robbed his gran she is heart broken over it.

[postggj]

they dont need to press charges for the police to prosecute if the evidence is there

 

its up to the crown prosecution service

[papasmurf1cx]

Hi..... what an awful problem. Firstly this is not a robbery (at least I hope not) robbery is a form of aggravated theft ie with violence involved at the time of the theft or immediately before it and in order to carry the theft out. What you describe is Burglary ie trespass and theft together.

 

Will he be prosecuted? Well that is down to Granny. She has to say that he had no right to come into her house in the manner of the entry eg a forced entry when she was not there. She has also to say that she did not give permission for him to take her property. if she turns round and says he had permission to come in and take her property then there is no crime. The Police could clear the crime up in their records but not take it to court. As I said it is down to granny to decide.

 

I also would ask the question, why has he done it? If there is a cause eg drug problem I would also advise that a prosecution is done because the courts can make orders and make sure that he attends courses and / or get the help to beat the problem. Otherwise what will happen is that the process of getting help for the problem he has is pushed to some time in the future. Address the issue now......... tough love. Difficult but necessary. It really is the lowest point in criminality to steal from ones own as it causes the heartache you are now all suffering from. Hope it works out for you, give Granny the support she deserves and which I know you are giving. Good luck.

[GuidoT]

The police or CPS or less likely to prosecute if they have little or no evidence.

 

If your family do not give evidence then the authorities will have serious difficulties proving the case and will probably drop it.

[jackieandwayne]

Oh well, now you tell me he has done similar before. then I believe Gran must make a complaint and go the whole hog. He thinks he can sail through life by stealing - well, at 18 there is a strong chance that a spell in prison or wherever they stick them nowadays will make him see the error of his ways. Otherwise he is going to get into even bigger trouble later on.

 

I really hope you get this sorted out quickly and he really does learn his lesson. Perhaps he should have been introduced to warm bottoms many years ago! I was, when I stole some sweets from a neighbours house - actually used a tool to open her window and climb in when she was out to get the Liquorice Allsorts on this old dear's table! All of 8 years old. Well, I'm sure we can all remember the true meaning of a damn good hiding in 1970! I have never pinched anything else in my life and I don't eat liquorice either - even the smell of it reminds me of that particular warm bottom. Then there was the shame of the dressing down from the local beat bobby in front of my entire family.

 

No discipline anymore is there?

[missy118]

hi he is not on drugs he likes going out partying and getting drunk having tatoos and buying expensive clothes even though he does not work. i think his gran wont press charges, he said he robbed her as a way to get back at her because she left a message on his phone saying that if he did not contact her she wanted no more to do with him he normaly either rings her or goes and sees her every week but he had not been or contacted her for 2 months we think that she feels bad about the message she left on his phone and she probaly wont press charges because of this.

[papasmurf1cx]

How much did he take and how much damage did he do? If she does not press charges any insurance may not be honoured. Also the life style does suggest drugs, sometimes the family are the last to know.

[missy118]

hi in all with the money and jewelery around 14 000 my daughter is a nurse and while he was living with them for 6 months she said that he was not on drugs.

[papasmurf1cx]

and how much was recovered?

[missy118]

most of the money they are going around the shops he sold the jewelery too to see if they can get it back