Forum Topic

Machete robbery on CHR

Dear oh dear! Best leave your Rolexes at home amigos. And maybe wear the gold plate jewellery not the real thing.All in the Daily Mail for those who missed it. (!)

Davey Harris ● 1157d40 Comments

That's quite shocking.  The accused is 16 years old.

Nora Watkins ● 1157d

'The accused is 16 years old.'...and will undoubtedly be described by his mother as a 'boy who'd light up a room' or 'a sweet angel' when it inevitably goes horribly wrong for him down the line.

Mike Smith ● 1157d

Well well well, it's amazing how quickly the police swoop into action when a celebrity is involved as opposed to "we don't have the resources" response if our kids or ordinary folk are mugged. Not the first time this has happened with a local celebrity when, after a minor road rage incident,the miscreant was reported to have been arrested within two hours.Just saying.

Adrian Irving ● 1157d

The police "swooped into action" because the accused had a machete.

Nora Watkins ● 1157d

I have a lot of time for Aled Jones and I don't feel comfortable straying into victim-blaming but the only point of owning a £17,000 watch is to be able to say 'look at me I own a £17,000 watch'.Criminal gangs know the value of these watches precisely and will target their owners. The location is given as Chiswick Road which may mean that he was being followed until the opportunity presented itself to strike where there was an easy getaway. The chances are that if a 16-year-old is involved in this sort of crime, he didn't plan and execute it but was given the weapon and instructions by an adult who  is able to resell the watch.

Francis Rowe ● 1157d

£17,000 watch? Crikey. I'll keep my Rolex Daytona Unicorn at home :o

Basil Finnis ● 1157d

People should be able to wear a nice watch without fear of a machete wielding thug let’s hope he gets some real prison time. The mother should be ashamed of her sons actions that’s parenting!

Jayne Thorburn ● 1157d

As I said on another thread if they are not punished they will be out ofcontrol.

Janice Evans ● 1156d

Agree with you, Francis.

Claire Moran ● 1156d

I don’t agree if someone gets pleasure from wearing a nice watch that’s OK. What isn’t OK is a 16 year old youth owning a machete and using it for criminal behaviour. We should be able to walk safely on our streets about time the police and justice system dealt with these people. Mother and father should be ashamed of their son. Chiswick is not a third world anrea and nor is the UK this behaviour is totally unacceptable. If you have nice things wear them.

Jayne Thorburn ● 1156d

Are you suggesting that things have to have a high monetary value to be nice because I really don't think that's necessary.

Philippa Bond ● 1156d

For once I agree with you, Philippa. And if you walk around parading expensive objects, expect to get them stolen. We have warnings every time we go to tourist areas abroad and most people don't wear ostentatious jewellery there as they know what will happen.  But criminals are everywhere. I was mugged walking home from work about 5.30 pm on a quiet residential road in Chiswick some years ago.  Fortunately the only thing of any real value was a nice handbag I had bought in Italy, I had my keys in my hand as I was so near home, didn't have my mobile with me and not much money in my purse, and cancelled all my cards immediately.  My worst concern was they had my diary with the dates I would be away.  It's a shock and that was the worst thing. I didn't go into work until lunchtime the next day.  Since then I carry as little as possible on me.  Unfortunately it's a sad reality that this happens now, no matter how much we say it shouldn't.  As with rape, it shouldn't happen but it does to a lot of women, and rape and muggings can happen to anyone at any time.  I am sure Aled was well insured, but it will be the aggression that is upsetting.

Claire Moran ● 1156d

What planet are you ladies on…..,people don’t walk around with their wrist out saying ‘look at me’. There is absolutely nothing wrong wearing any nice jewellery including a watch. We are talking chiswick around I believe 5.30pm. Totally agree walking late at night but that was instilled in me as a child thankfully I had fabulous parents that cared and took responsibility for their children. I walk around and have done for years and not once thought gosh take my jewellery off otherwise a machete wielding youth will attack me! Come on ladies the youth need throwing in prison and the parents need a serious talking too.

Jayne Thorburn ● 1156d

Just stop defending the indefensible……ladies

Jayne Thorburn ● 1156d

Our jails are full and cost us taxpayers billions along with the legal system to get criminals there.  Should we all leave our mobile phones in the front window of our cars, or our dogs alone in our cars or outside shops for that matter, and add to the thousands stolen every year,  or anything else precious?  Only the stupid would do that.  If you don't tempt criminals, you have a decreased risk of being a victim. Simples.

Claire Moran ● 1156d

Your analogies are ridiculous to wearing a watch so you would prefer to see a 16 year old wielding a machete in the street than putting him in prison. That’s crazy talk. People should wear nice things they have worked hard for them. I can’t believe anyone actually believes that we should lock all our jewellery away to stop criminal behaviour. Claire you clearly want to live in a very sad society ha! your thinking is ridiculous!

Jayne Thorburn ● 1156d

Depressing that our police time and effort is having to go into protecting ostentatious rich people who want to flaunt their wealth. And depressing that rich people feel the need to flaunt their wealth at all, rather than using their wealth to make the world a better place. £16,900 would make a big difference to a lot of small charities (leaving £100 left to buy a very decent watch).

Simon Pedley ● 1156d

Absentee fathers,overworked and under supported single mothers,minimal discipline in schools,limp wristed 'justice'..no wonder some scumbags like this are walking around.If you walk around wearing a status symbol on your wrist makes you feel good,I think your wrist might be more usefully employed.

Keith Iddon ● 1156d

😂😂😂 how do you know that ‘rich’ people don’t do a massive amount for charity and society, sounds like envy if you think someone wearing a nice watch is wrong, it isn’t. Perhaps you are extreme lefties.  17K watch doesn’t necessary mean someone is rich…define rich? I hope we still live in a democracy and people are free to choose how they spend their hard earned cash.

Jayne Thorburn ● 1156d

Agree with Simon and Keith.  You don't live in the real world, Jayne.

Claire Moran ● 1156d

I live on planet Earth that’s real 😂😂😂😂 perhaps I have a more balanced view of the world than some others.

Jayne Thorburn ● 1156d

I'm afraid you seem to be living in a bubble Jayne.  Millions of people are unable to feed their families.  A 17k watch is very much a status symbol,  and it's an unfortunate fact that it's likely to make you a target.  This isn't a modern phenomena,  even the story of Robin Hood is based on "robbing the rich to feed the poor"

Nora Watkins ● 1156d

We will all need machetes soon to hack our way through the weeds growing higher and thicker by the day with too little too late being done about it. I exaggerate but unkempt streets lead to more litter, more graffiti more of a sense of decline and lawlessness.I accept the connection between weeds and  machete wielding kids is very tenuous but the two all lead to an  feeling of unease.

Adrian Irving ● 1156d

"A 17k watch is very much a status symbol". So how much would a watch have to cost in order not to be a status symbol?

Brian Coyle ● 1156d

I don't know the answer to that Brian,  what do you think?

Nora Watkins ● 1156d

Are some of you suggesting that a lady should remove her engagement ring every time she leaves her home? Or not to have a nice car or house? Or not to have a nice Italian handbag in case it gets pinched? People should be able to enjoy their money as they wish.

Georgina Flint ● 1156d

I asked what you thought. You must have some vague idea surely?

Brian Coyle ● 1156d

Unfortunately Georgina motorbike gangs used to be rife in London stealing handbags.  Now people are targeting youngsters with expensive phones, headphones and jackets and there are daily reports of Range Rovers being stolen.    Thieves with target the things they feel give them a decent payday and driving expensive cars,  having Italian handbags,  or obviously expensive watches and jewellery may make you a target.And no Jayne,  I'm not giving the machete wielding teen a pass, I'm just pointing out the reality.

Nora Watkins ● 1156d

That’s the risk people are willing to take and that’s why people have insurance. The courts need to come down harder on these muggers.

Georgina Flint ● 1156d

"The courts need to come down harder on these muggers."Or parents need to do their job: parenting.

Mike Smith ● 1156d

Not really Brian.  I think 17k on a watch is a lot of money personally,  but I haven't thought about where that starts.  Rolex positions itself as a luxury brand so I see it as a symbol of wealth (and status).    I've given you my thoughts, and now I'm interested to hear yours.

Nora Watkins ● 1155d

Insurance doesn't help much when they pull a knife or machete and stab you, maybe kill you,  or in my case, wrenched my shoulder badly which left me in pain for weeks - fortunately I could still work as it was my left shoulder.  If you want to wear expensive jewellery etc, do what the Royals do and get a bodyguard or face the consequences.  No it shouldn't happen but the reality is that it happens to a lot of people all over the UK and all over the world every single day.

Claire Moran ● 1155d

When Gordon Brown succeeded Tony Blair he said anyone caught with a knife for the second time would be automatically given a custodian sentence.Had this order been followed up in conjunction with the existing stop & search measures I believe our streets would be safer today.Theresa May later acquiesced to the black community and she drastically cut 14 thousand police and the number of stop & searches.Despite the many amnesties on weapons over the years street violence is as prevalent today as it ever was.New measures on curbing knife crime are unlikely to come from Sadiq Khan who is too absorbed with his ULEZ baby, nor Sir Keir whose early tenure in the hot seat next Autumn will likely be used imposing his new pledges to the electorate.The future is not bright.

Denis I. Fox ● 1155d

Some of these kids don't have a father involved in their lives, and some of them are better off without some of the scum who have kids all over the place and then show no further interest in either mother of child.Of course we should all be allowed to wear what we want and to flaunt our wealth,but we can't so get a grip and wear these very expensive trinkets at the appropriate time.We should also have more police on the streets blah blib blab but in reality we don't, so don't expect things to change anytime soon.

Keith Iddon ● 1155d

You may as well ask how long is a piece of string as ask how much does a status symbol cost.If you asked ten people you might well get ten different answers,as their eyes glaze over...

Keith Iddon ● 1155d

Instead of having 3 coppers manning a mobile camera on the S Ealing rd to catch the 22mph drivers,they should be issued with mopeds to be prepared and ready sitting  at certain vantage points in the Borough ready to attend any 999 calls very quickly. The Police have become a reactive force not  Proactive.  The parent(see what I did there)  should also have to take some sort of responsibilty for the bratts crime,not sure what ,being kicked out of theri council/social housing home for starters if they are in one.I could go on.

Pete Docherty ● 1155d

Aren't those the Traffic Police doing that?

Philippa Bond ● 1152d

"..being kicked out of their council/social housing home for starters if they are in one.."Pete, how would making the family homeless help the situation?

Richard Greenhough ● 1152d

Richard,I know what you mean,but I ask how the ridiculous easy prisons and light sentences are helping the situation? Something has to change would you not agree.

Pete Docherty ● 1152d

It can now take years for serious cases to come to court.  There is the trial for the murder of a 9 year old child a year ago now in court.  Serious cases like that have been taking a lot longer to get to court.  Our system has been so cut back.We definitely don't want to become like the US with such a small population and such a large proportion of them currently in jail - many who will just go in and out all their lives for what we would call lesser crimes.You should also bear in mind that jails are also considered to be schools for crime.  It would be better to look at what is happening to society and why so many youngsters are resorting to crime.

Philippa Bond ● 1152d