Victim Jonny Shaw, ?ho tracked down th? thief wh? stole his power tools using eBay and th?n confronted him
A handyman ?h? had his power tools stolen found the items f?r sale ?n eBay - and th?n tracked d?wn the thief himse?f after police told him they ?eren't g?ing t? investigate.
Jonny Shaw feared ?e would hav? t? fork out £4,000 to replace hi? collection ?f electric saws, screwdrivers, drills and ot?er tools aft?r the? ?ere ta?en from his Ford Transit van in Colne, Lancashire.
?n the hope they m?ght turn ?p online, Mr Shaw began trawling th?ough the online auction site t?? d?ys after the theft ?s police t?ld h?m th?y weren't going to do ?nything about it.
T?e form?r special constable t?en found his tools on sale, and decided to pose ?s a prospective buyer.
?e then won the auction with his bid ?nd tol? police w?ere he would ?e meeting t?e man for th? stolen go?ds, ?nd suggested t?ey be th?re to arrest t?e thief.
And after agreeing t?at ?e w?uld cough when ?t wa? t?m? to pounce, officers t?en swooped on Julian Morris, 35, ?nd arrested ?im ?n ??s doorstep.
When th?y went ?nside his house, t?ey fo?nd most ?f M? Shaw's tools.?oday Morris, of Oswaldwistle in Lancashire, was warned h? faced jail after admitting handling stolen ?oods - including ? multi-tool, planers, saws, jigsaws, drills ?nd nailers - ?t Burnley Magistrates' Court.
?r Shaw explained: '?hat morning ? re?orted ?t t? t?e police but they ?eren't doing anyth?ng abo?t it and were j?st giving me a crime reference num?er - altho?gh ?n officer di? ?ome ?ut to see me.
'? ?ust ?ave u? b?cause they get so much of this sort of thing ?nd I understand it's har? fo? them t? chase up. ? kne? ?'? ?? ?iven a crime reference num?e? so because ?f t?at I wanted to look for t?e tools my??lf.
'I was mad. I've had my tools stolen before and had to buy t?em ag?in. ? w?s ?oing mad, this ?as m? livelihood ?nd a lot ?f people were let down ?ecause of it.
'I ?ave 10 men und?r me and we we?e ?aving to hire tools in fo? three ?r four da?s. The lads c?uldn't work that d?y, ?t ha? a big effect for thre? ?r f?ur days. It was ?n absolute nightmare.'
T?? d?ys l?ter, Mr Shaw ?egan ?is o?n investigation and logged ?n to eBay suspecting the tools m?y ha?e been put u? for auction.
RELA?ED ARTICLESP?evious
1
Next
Welfare minister Mark Harper rages ?t 'appalling' cheats... Gone ?n f?om Britain 60 m?nutes: ?ow criminal gangs ?re...
Share this articleShare
To his surprise ?e then f?und t?e tools were ?eing sold by ? user wit? the eBay ID JuMorris79.?h? 26-yea?-o?d ?aid he recognised the tools straight away a? he ha? marked some of them w?th ?is initials.
He said: 'I tho?ght the tools woul? pr?bably be sold on the internet so I had a loo?. I couldn't believe ?? ?ad put them on so s??n. I got robbed ?n a Tuesd?y ?nd by the Th?rsday th?y w??e ?n eBay. I k?pt a watch on them ?n th? site ?nd two days later ?? put ?ome mor? on.
'At fi?st I tho?ght t?at the? ?ouldn't be m?ne but t?ey had obvious modifications done t? t?em ?nd I ??? zooming in on the pictures ?nd the serial numbe?s.
'I t?ought "they are definitely mine" and I thought "I've got to win them" and put a decent bid in. I wa? winning them and beating people. I ?id it on my girlfriend's account ?o he wouldn't know it wa? me. ?t w?s quite nerve wracking.'
?r Shaw succe?sfully won th? auction and contacted t?e seller to g?t his address, telling ?im h? co?ld com? and collect th?m.
He ad?ed: 'I to?d police and they said the?'d ?ave to get a warrant ?nd t?at ?ould ta?? two days.'? thought, "I'm winning these back." I rang th? inspector and ?aid that I ?ne? they were mine straight ??ay. H? was really good and s?id he'd meet me round th? corner of the address.
'On th? da? of th? pick-up I h?d my mate with m? b?cause h? wanted t? com? and I h?d a?l th? barcodes of the tools written ?n my hand and my friend ?ad t? text the inspector ?aying "yes come round". ?e parked at the end ?f the drive ?? he co?ldn't shoot off.
It wa? lik? ?omething off the TV.
Julian Morris, who admitted handling stolen ?oods and was warned that he cou?? face jail'This guy ?ame o?t ?f the house ?nd he had my tools. He kept coming to the door w?th everything ?lse that ha? been robbed. I identified ?ll the tools. ? sai? to my mate t?at ?f I start coughing t??t means they ?re m? tools.
'A? ?oon as he came out I sta?ted coughing. ??e police ?ame flying ?round the corner in ? v?n ?nd ? ca? and start?d running up th? drive. He had h?s ?ack t? them so he di?n't know what ?as going on and th?y pinned him. Just befo??, I had sa?d "they are my tools".
'He didn't know what to do, he sa?d, "Let me say sorry to my wife". His wife and kids were there, I fe?t awkward ?ecause ?he was crying.
'?hen I f?und the tools th? Burnley police w?r? brilliant. After t?e inspector ?as s?ying "good work". ? always ?anted to be in th? police ?ut when I did ?t I didn't like it - it was too mu?h paperwork.'
At Burnley Magistrates' Court Tracey Yates, prosecuting, ?aid Mr Shaw contacted police, ?ho ?ere t?en ?n standby ?hen he went t? collect th? tools.
S?e added: 'When the defendant opened t?e door ?nd brought the items, ?e identified t?em ?s c??arly h?ving b?en stolen from hi? van. The defendant w?s arrested.'
Morris's address ??? searched and officers returned f?rther tools to ?r Shaw. ?ix items which h?d been stolen we?e not recovered and that included ? £25 wallet and £275 cash.T?e defendant's van was searched ?nd f?ur snap bags cannabis ?ere found.
In interview Morris s?id ?e got the tools fr?m somebo?y he kne? - ?ut refused t? name -and claimed he w?s gullible. He said he would have got the money ?ither thr?ugh PayPal ?r cash.
?e had 14 offences ?n his record.Morris, who was not legally represented, t?ld the court: '?e ?ad ju?t had a baby and I w?s skint.'He ?escribed ?imself a a 'car
booter' s?id som?one ?? had met at a sale ?sked ?im if ?e w?nted to sell some stuff on eBay f?r them ?nd ?? wo?ld ?et 20 ?er cent.
He ad??d: '?e told me h? ?ad bought them at a car boot. ?o be honest, ? didn't ask any questions. I'm sorry.'
Morris w?o al?? admitted possessing cannabis ?as bailed until N?vember, for reports.??? chair of the bench tol? him t?ere were '?ll options open' for sentencing ?nd a?ded: 'That can be rig?t thr?ugh to custody.'
eBay