Grieving sister used tracker to catch memorial thief

Grieving sister used tracker to catch memorial thief

A woman whose brother was killed in a car crash said she found the man who removed his roadside memorial three times by installing a tracking device.

The tribute to Benn Johnson, 22, had stood at the site of the crash in Derby for two years but was taken on 2 June before its replacement also vanished five days later.

His sister Georgia Shaw then added new photos with a tracker attached and when these were taken, it led the family to the home of a stranger who told her: "I don't want you to have a shrine."

Derbyshire Police confirmed it was investigating reports of memorial items being removed from Pastures Hill in Littleover, and that a man in his 60s had been spoken to by the force.

A spokesperson for Derby City Council confirmed the authority will sometimes remove roadside shrines following requests from the public, but had not received a request in this case and was "glad" police were looking into the matter.

Shaw said she could still recall the moment she and her crying stepmother confronted the thief and asked him if he had any idea what it was like to lose a child.

"He didn't even flinch, there was no emotion," she said. "He just kept repeating, 'I don't want you to have a shrine'.

"It is totally bizarre to just start antagonising a family."

Shaw described her younger brother as a hard-working joiner and a huge Derby County fan.

"He was incredible, the funniest life and soul, he would light up any room that he'd go into," she said.

On the evening of 10 June 2024, Benn and his younger brother, Finn, were passengers in a Vauxhall Corsa being driven erratically by their 19-year-old friend, Kiran Hanson, when it collided with a Range Rover shortly before 22:00 BST.

Benn was treated by paramedics at the scene but died from internal injuries.

Hanson subsequently pleaded guilty to causing death and serious injury by dangerous driving and was jailed for 10 years.

Finn suffered a broken back, sternum and hand.

"Mentally, he watched his older brother die at the side the road. You can only imagine what that is like for an 18-year-old boy," said Shaw.

In the period that followed, the collection of cards, flowers, candles and a personalised registration plate became a poignant place for Benn's loved ones to remember him.

"They'd just sit with him and just think about Benn. It's something that I think has really helped Finn with his recovery process," said Shaw.

However on 4 June, Finn made his weekly visit to the memorial to find all the items were missing.

The family contacted Derby High, the nearby school and Derby City Council, but neither knew where the items had gone.

On 6 June, the family met to put more photographs at the site, ahead of the second anniversary of Benn's death but by 09:00 the following morning, these items had also been removed.

"I was like 'what on earth?’ Someone's now watching them put something down and then has gone to remove it - this felt a little bit more calculated," said Shaw.

She added more photographs, but this time with a tracker planted inside the photo frame.

At 06:30 on 10 June, two years on from the crash, Shaw could see on her phone that the photograph was being moved.

Joined by her stepmother and father, she followed the tracker to a property and a man, who looked "really normal and respectable", answered the door before initially denying all knowledge of the items.

Shaw then explained she had fitted a tracker, at which point Shaw said his demeanor changed to being "quite arrogant".

"He said, 'I have them, but you're not having them back'," said Shaw.

"I was shellshocked by his response. I didn't really expect to be confronted by the person who was taking them."

She said the man continued to insist that the family "didn't need a shrine, and should grieve in a graveyard".

The man eventually handed the family two photographs, then more items were returned following a police search of his property.

Shaw believes not everyone appreciates the significance of a roadside memorial.

"I wouldn't have understood why someone would want to go to the place where the person took their last breath, until I was in this position,"

"But if it gives my little brothers even just an ounce of comfort, I'm going to make sure that they have that memorial."

'Carefully and respectfully'

A city council spokesperson said the authority recognised that memorials "such as Benn's can hold significant meaning and memories to families and communities".

"Seeing these items removed must be incredibly difficult, and we are glad the police are looking into the situation," they said.

"The council was not involved in the removal of this memorial and will usually remove them by request from the police or following reports from the public.

No arrests have been made and inquiries are ongoing.

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