Suspicous break-in - opinions?

Going to Cali · 19 Jul 2008 at 17:52

On Thursday my girlfriend's shared house was broken into, our laptops along with my wii and ipod were stolen. The other room's in the house were also turned over and another housemate had a laptop stolen.

We'd left the house at 8 and locked up, we got back at 12 and stepping in the porch (which is unsecured) I immediately noticed I was stepping in glass. A small window (1ft wide, 3ft tall) was smashed. However, the majority of the glass was still in the frame. Going into the house the rooms had been ramsacked and a load of foreign currency scattered around the house (usa, fiji, malaysia, thailand).

My girlfriend's housemate told me the house had been robbed and the police had been over but wanted to speak to my girlfriend. Fortunately there were two police passing and they came in to confirm our stories and list stolen items. Basically, an officer had been over when the other housemate reported the robbery. They had made the assessment that there had been no break-in as there would be no way anyone could climb through the window without either pushing out the remaining glass or cutting themselves to shreds. Therefore, they thought it more likely that the other housemate had some part in what happened.

Due to this they said they could not issue a crime number at which point I said if a burglarry has not been committed then there has been a theft of our property. A sergant was called out who said that they could not conclusively rule out a break in so had to give us a crime number.

With regards to the property I don't have contents insurance but I'm hoping I'll be covered on my parents policy as a full time student.

What worries me is that my girlfriend has to stay in the house with the other guy who I believe has played some part in the incident (even though he had stuff stolen). Simply, no one could have got into the house through the window and we left the house secure. I think he left without locking up and is trying to make it look like a break in by smashing the window.

Since the incident he's been pretty elusive, what do people think I should do? The police said they felt he was involved but then only took a witness statement from him.

Kristoph · 19 Jul 2008 at 17:55

Is the door on a yale lock / deadlock lol?

Crime solved.

Going to Cali · 19 Jul 2008 at 17:56

mp3kla said:
Is the door on a yale lock / deadlock lol?

Crime solved.

I'm not sure what you mean?

JBuk · 19 Jul 2008 at 17:58

they should still give a crime number no matter if it was a burglary or suspected a housemate had taken the items as its still a crime, surely?

ste_bla · 19 Jul 2008 at 18:00

Going to Cali said:
I'm not sure what you mean?

If its dedlocked (needs key to open even from inside) then it was an inside job if its a yale then maybe not?

(at a guess)

Kristoph · 19 Jul 2008 at 18:01

Yale lock.

Dead lock

Arm through the hole in the window, open the door (yale lock), steal the stuff, leave through the door and its locked again...

If it was a dead lock you'd need to have a key in the door / near by.

Going to Cali · 19 Jul 2008 at 18:06

It's not a yale as it's not self locking on closing the door and it's not a deadlock as you don't need a key to open from the inside. To open the door you need a key from the outside but there's a nob on the inside that needs to be twisted to lock/unlock the door. The smashed window leads to a bedroom, you cannot reach through and let yourself into the property.

Kristoph · 19 Jul 2008 at 18:07

Going to Cali said:
It's not a yale as it's not self locking on closing the door and it's not a deadlock as you don't need a key to open from the inside. To open the door you need a key from the outside but there's a nob on the inside that needs to be twisted to lock/unlock the door. The smashed window leads to a bedroom, you cannot reach through and let yourself into the property.

Hmmm... the plot thickens.

Who's bedroom window was smashed?

I'd of thought if someone was going to fake a burglary they'd smash a decent sized window?

Jokester · 19 Jul 2008 at 18:09

Broken glass on the outside generally means it was smashed from the inside.

Kristoph · 19 Jul 2008 at 18:10

Jokester said:
Broken glass on the outside generally means it was smashed from the inside.

Get Meridian in here. He's a soco isn't he?

Going to Cali · 19 Jul 2008 at 18:13

I'm pretty sure the glass was smashed from the porch and into the bedroom as the main pane and majority of shards are in the bedroom, I guess the rest may have fallen out of the frame and onto the porch floor.

York · 19 Jul 2008 at 20:27

It's possible to break into a house without having the key using a "bump key". Have a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lock_bumping - very interesting technique when you look into it that not many people know about

Masterdog · 19 Jul 2008 at 20:48

JBuk said:
they should still give a crime number no matter if it was a burglary or suspected a housemate had taken the items as its still a crime, surely?

Yup. Especially since the police are on 'victim-centred' criming now, which basically means if someone perceives they've been a victim of a crime, they get a crime number. Seems a bit weird they said they couldn't give one.
(There's another thing about balance of probabilities, but wouldn't really apply in this case).

CaptainComedy · 19 Jul 2008 at 21:15

he just had a laptop stolen? he's probably just moved it to his parents or something

Dj_Jestar · 19 Jul 2008 at 21:49

I'd probably confront him tbh. Ask him directly if he left the door open and is now trying to cover his tracks or whatever. If he did leave the door open by accident, I'd not get mad at him as accidents do happen.

Scuzi · 19 Jul 2008 at 21:52

Is it possible that he took everything and tried to make it look like a burglary? Is he in financial difficulties?

Defcon5 · 19 Jul 2008 at 21:55

Could someone have left a key on the bedroom window sill? Someone smashed the window to get the key then used the key to get in?

Also - the foreign currency, did it belong to anyone in the flat?

Spinal2k2 · 19 Jul 2008 at 22:29

Jokester said:
Broken glass on the outside generally means it was smashed from the inside.

yip, glass when smashed will; land on the other side it was smashed - if it was smashed from outside, the glass will be inside, if it was smashed inside the glass will be outside.

sanaxe1 · 19 Jul 2008 at 23:31

someone could have stolen a key , and smashed the window to make it seem like a normal break in so you wouldn't back track on who could have done it and find the culprit.

I suggest it was the butler, in the Library, with the Rope