[Closed] My son was mugged yesterday

Is he just incredibly unlucky or is there a real shift in street crime?

Similarish series of events happened to me when I was a teenager back in the 90s

Yip... It has always been thus. It just went on without the media's constant 'we're all going to hell in a handcart' hysterical narrative

At least theres probably more point to it nowadays. 16 year olds have more stuff. You might get yourself a new iphone that worth how much?... so the incentive is certainly there? If you'd have mugged me when I was 16, you'd probably be disappointed with the half empty ten pack of B & H that your criminal activity yielded. It still happened though. Just as a precursor to violence, mainly

As above,we didn't have £900 phones in our pockets and things like this still happened,pretty obvious it will increase nowadays.

As per Boardinbob, similarish events happened to me in the 90s.

Looking back I feel like I got away lightly as a rule. Fleet of foot and all that.

The van thing is familiar, a friend was walking from one pub to another in Banbury town centre when a van pulled up and the occupants gave him a kicking then left. That would be about 1996 at a wild guess.

Happy to say, my son's never experienced anything like it (he does go round with some big lads though), but yeah, I did, back in the 70s. One particular time I remember, 2 older lads from a rival school would've pounded me if I hadn't escaped on my skateboard 😀

The main difference is back when I was that age in NE Lancs you could be pretty certain no-one was going to pull a knife.

I’ve reported all these incidents to the police but unfortunately to result as of yet.

The police were never involved... the community handled things like this hence why knives were not an issue.

Must’ve led a sheltered life in Coventry in the ‘80’s 😳 Never happened to me and I’d be very concerned if it happened to my lad, now 16. Plenty of post pub scraps, but never been simply accosted with menaces...

As above - happened to me in the 90’s when I was a teenager. Mugged twice in a relatively small timeframe. Once at knife point. Think they got all of £3 and a half empty packet of B&H. I had to walk the seven miles or so home from town and that was the bit that stung the most for teenaged me. Both times in the less gentle parts of Huddersfield.

Btw did he give them any cash?! And hope he’s OK..

I got mugged for a set of these back in 1990. Hurt as much as losing an iPhone!

Just heard this morning that my nephew got detained in RVI Newcastle with a fractured skull last night after going to the aid of a mate ( trying to cool things down ) after an altercation outside a nightclub in Newcastle ..he's 6'4 and a non violent decent kid ..
Bastards !
I've real fears for my 17 year old son ..also a tall boy @ 6'2" ..when he starts clubbing ..
Do they just see a big lad and want to prove a point ?

I got mugged in Manchester for a Wedding Present album and a brand new pair of Samba, still in the box.
Right outside Collyhurst police station.

At least they had taste.

A 14 year was mugged in Waterfoot, Rossendale a couple if days ago, van and car blocked him in and stole his Lapierre. Not exactly downtown Harpurhey.

Which bit of Twickenham? I'm about to walk into town and don't fancy having to fight anybody...

My younger brother was mugged at a cash machine about 15 years ago. He was withdrawing cash for a night out and turned from the machine to be confronted by two scrotes who demanded he hand over the cash or he would get a proper kicking.

"Ok then, lets go" replied the younger ( and considerably more bonkers ) Panther brother.

This proved to be a fundamental error of judgement on the part of the brigands who ended up in the cells after receiving a leathering before being dragged a hundred yards to the police station by the scruff of their necks.

A, let’s call him volatile, old friend of mine was accosted in a car park in Halifax late at night many moons ago. He had long hair, bell bottoms, the whole stoner rock thing going on. Had his boot open and two scrotes tried to mug him. Didn’t end well for them.

He came to my house ranting and adrenalised, pacing about my kitchen. Few cuts and bruises about his face. When I eventually calmed him down he told me that two guys had tried to mug him and he’d set about them with the tyre iron from his boot.

He finished by taking me to his car, opening the boot and saying “it’ll make them think twice about mugging anyone else” he’d managed to steal their trainers after beating them. It was a snowy night. To this day it still makes me chuckle (and scared me) that in that situation he was actually calm enough to have the thought of this as a punishment.

Must’ve led a sheltered life in Coventry in the ‘80’s 😳 Never happened to me and I’d be very concerned if it happened to my lad, now 16. Plenty of post pub scraps, but never been simply accosted with menaces…

I think that is the main difference... we had a fair few scraps and the odd menaces that then turned into a scrap but there were "acceptable limits".

About 12 years ago in London I had some young guy literally ask me for a smoke ... I said ***-off and he just went straight at me with a knife -no other conversation or anything. That would (almost) never have happened in NE Lancs in the late '80's...

Which bit of Twickenham?

Also interested in this as a Twix resident with 2 young kids.

Horrible. I also worry for the future and as the gap between the haves and have nots increases ,I fear the “gang” outlet becomes a more attractive option than a rubbish government funded apprenticeships that pay sod all...
That and they can get away with it because there aren’t enough polis to keep up with major crime let alone mugging a burglary & don’t get me started on car jumping red lightS!
I got battered by 6 massive body builders once . They didn’t even mug me.
My face was a proper mess.
Hope your son is ok.

Looking back I feel like I got away lightly as a rule. Fleet of foot and all that.

+1. I genuinely believe I've only lived this long because I could do a standing 40 yards faster than anyone else I've ever met. As a wise karate teacher once said, "best defence, no be there."

A mate and I got mugged in Leicester (147 snooker club) when I was about 13 or something, 1989 ish. They had knives and took my Track suit and my mates trainers. fortunately it was nice weather so the walk to his uncles house wasn't too bad in my T-shirt and boxers!!

About a year later, in Beaumont Leys where I grew up, two kids threatened to beat me up if I didn't give them money, and started to push me around. I was on my own and going over the shop for my mum. I had a £20 note in my pocket and I though "**** that you're not getting my mums money" we were pretty skint back then. My mum called the police and he shook my hand after I told him they'd ran away crying after I gave both of them a bit of hiding.

I really hope this never happens to my son though. Although a few bigger kids at school have already been pretty horrible to him, he's in yr 7.

Although a few bigger kids at school have already been pretty horrible to him

I really worry for my boy being born 31st August and as a rule we are a small family.

Sorry to hear that what a world we live in, I have always told my kids if anyone trys to mug you give them what they want we can always replace anything you have.

One of the reasons I left the UK 7 years ago.... There seems to be an underlying tension everywhere. No where else in the world have I thought I might step into a violent situation at any moment for no particular reason....I've had my fair share of run ins with chavs and general English dick#+ads. England is not a place I wanted to raise kids, so I left to move to a place where crime is virtually non existent.

I met a long term traveller back when I was dicking around Asia 20 years ago, a seasoned backpacker who seemed to not have a bad bone in his body. He said England was the most dangerous place he'd ever been to. Lost a few teeth and learnt to keep his head down and mouth shut....

I've used this instructional video to teach my children the most  important self defence technique if they ever find themselves in that situation...

Hi all - thanks for your msgs. He’s fine, in fact far less stressed than I am about it all.

Didn’t realise there are so many Twickenhamites on here (we should do a ride!) - it was on Cole Park Road, just north of the station.

I hope the nephew with the fracture skull makes a very rapid recovery. I’m very sorry to hear about his injury.

Yes, it maybe a size thing. My son is very broad and strong (can bench lift me no problem).

I got mugged for a set of these back in 1990. Hurt as much as losing an iPhone!

I've got a couple of sets of those in a box somewhere. Send me an iPhone, I'll send you set.

Sorry about this...from a part time kingston resident...i cycle alot around the area and never see anything like this. I once left my brompton outside a shop, surbiton high st, anyway, someone followed me in and said that will get nicked. So now I always fold it and take it inside to shops and cafes.

I actually feel really safe in the area, tbh i only have a 2g phone in UK so would expect the would be thief to just laugh at me. I am observant though so if I see something I don't like i just stop and let it pass.

're the central London incident I have heard of gangs surrounding targets, it happens in seconds usually around tube exits where people are looking at phones.

Also, I was on the tube last month and noticed half the commuters wore noise cancelling headphones, I can spot a Bose 700 at 10 paces as I want some. I can't believe the thieves are not into them, someone told me they like bling not the discrete ones.

Sorry anyway, I like Twickenham and teddington and have never seen any issues there.

@Stompy

I have travelled all over the world over the last 15 years and I never feel more on edge than those first few hours back in England when getting the train from London or waiting for transport in any city.

This includes stints in South Africa, Honduras, El Salvador etc.

This includes stints in South Africa

Just depends on what you know - I'm fairly comfortable in most parts of London (that I know well enough), but Jo-burg airport gave me the hebejebies.

As did Tunis and Cairo

Beirut was lovely though.

Ok i just looked up your road and I cycled it to get to st margarets. Do u think the thieves knew it was his regular route and he would be there at that time. Just a quiet residential st.

Tbh if it happened to me I would just hand over what they wanted, just not worth the risk.

I'm sorry to hear that OP, hope he's not too shook up.

Had a couple of unprovoked incidents even in our small town in the 80s. We had nothing to nick though, just a bit of shoving and threats.

My eldest is 17 this year, a lanky, non-physical, academic 6 footer. I expected him to be a target at secondary school, but he wasn't; seems street smart when out with his mates, but I do worry about him. He had his first paying gig as a musician a couple of weeks ago at a theatre in a less attractive part of a less attractive town. He had the sense to wait till he knew I was by the stage door before coming out with a couple of grands worth of instruments on his back.

I got mugged in East Sheen in the mid nineties. Van pulled up. I don;t think they really wanted any money (I had none), but they punched me over a wall. More worryingly they tried to stab my mate with a screwdriver. Thankfully we were in leather biker jackets and the screwdriver was blunt.

Sorry for your son OP.

Jo-burg airport is quite nice now that it has an onsite brewery...from what I can remember

Reminded me of when I has mugged at knifepoint aged 5 for my dinner money. This was at 3:30pm in the afternoon as I was coming home from school! I often wonder what happened to that criminal mastermind.

Is he just incredibly unlucky or is there a real shift in street crime?

I never looked for trouble but had more grief than your lad in the '80s and '90s.

If anything, I think it's likely to drop off as he hits 18. Mainly seems to be younger teens are victimised.

Cole Park Road

Some nice houses down there, but also not far from Ivybridge Estate.

I suspect the perpetrators were on their half term and your son is just unlucky.

Is he just incredibly unlucky or is there a real shift in street crime?

Both ...

Just heard this morning that my nephew got detained in RVI Newcastle with a fractured skull last night after going to the aid of a mate ( trying to cool things down ) after an altercation outside a nightclub in Newcastle ..he’s 6’4 and a non violent decent kid ..
Bastards !
I’ve real fears for my 17 year old son ..also a tall boy @ 6’2″ ..when he starts clubbing ..
Do they just see a big lad and want to prove a point ?

Hope he recovering well. I noticed certain areas of the city centre is getting a bit more rowdy in the early hour of the morning. I used to just walk around to see the happenings when visiting friends.

I’ve used this instructional video to teach my children the most important self defence technique if they ever find themselves in that situation…

Best advice ... just run like Usain Bolt to crowded area.

Reminded me of when I has mugged at knifepoint aged 5 for my dinner money. This was at 3:30pm in the afternoon as I was coming home from school! I often wonder what happened to that criminal mastermind.

A kid pulled out a lighter and held it up to my son and said give me your dinner money. Thick ****, they have thumb print recognition at their school so kids don't carry cash. There really is no hope for some people!!

Unpleasant for you and your son OP.

I and university friends experienced a few muggings and attempts.

I stood and yelled my head off across the road at two lads setting about an older chap - succeeded in scaring them off.

Three flat mates were mugged on three different occasions.

I legged it a couple of times - once a bus was passing at near midnight and I think he worked out what was happening as he just pulled away as soon as I set foot. Once I just ran.

One final, funny, time myself and two good uni friends, were approached by a group of about 5 lads who demanded wallets. Cue laughter from my two mates, and me introducing my mates to the group.
"This is Darren. He is a sniping instructor with a couple of NI tours under him."
And
"This is Neal, he's just left the Mariner's"

I then laughed as the two pals gave chase....

The same Darren chap rescued newly other_half_oab in Sefton park one day when a flasher stepped out the bushes (no, not me). The flasher was placed in a headlock and given a few punches while the other_half_oab and Darren strolled out the park to find a phone box and asks the police attend...I think it was a long wait for the perp....

Didn’t realise there are so many Twickenhamites on here (we should do a ride!) – it was on Cole Park Road, just north of the station.

Thanks, don't know that road well but being near the station does it suffer from the influx of collage kids who could be causing trouble at that time?

We're up the other end near Kneller Gardens, no doubt once the evenings get lighter and warmer there will be an influx of kids hanging around in that area on bikes and reports of muggings (typically of other kids - police are well aware, they seem to come in from over the other side of the A316 looking for easy pickings).

Been living in Twickenham for around 20 years, definitely seems to be an increase in this sort of crime more recently, but this may just be down to knowing more people (as kids (8&10) at school mean a wider group of friends and more info shared).

Riding wise, I tend to either travel to SH or Swinley, or RP road / RP/Thames gravel depending on how much time I have.

I've been asked about 4 times by chavs on trains if I'm a copper, enough that it's not a random coincidence, I assume this is why I haven't been mugged in the 6 years I've been in London. 😀

One of the reasons I left the UK 7 years ago…. There seems to be an underlying tension everywhere. No where else in the world have I thought I might step into a violent situation at any moment for no particular reason….I’ve had my fair share of run ins with chavs and general English dick#+ads

I think tension has been there since I was a kid but the difference to me is the blow-off release valve and level of tension and subsequent violence. There was crime of course but mostly the violence was more of a 'scrap' than serious damage... I never had any interest in football for example but lots of people from school went for a bit of a fight of a Saturday ... all a bit stupid but mostly just a few people fighting - but then to draw that parallel its a bit like when the hooligans went elsewhere and found a whole new level of violence (not the ones I knew but in the news)

I don't think my 90's in and around Kingston/Twickers was really very different (including living on the Cambridge estate) ... perhaps a bit of spill from London but nothing like today.

Most of this was a broken nose or black eye and a bit of macho (in the latin american sense)... not exactly what you planned but not getting stabbed. Now it seems to go straight to getting robbed and stabbed....

I don’t think my 90’s in and around Kingston/Twickers was really very different (including living on the Cambridge estate) … perhaps a bit of spill from London but nothing like today.

The Cambridge estate - that's a blast from the past. I lived in New Malden from 89-91 and used to walk past the estate a few times a week. Never saw any trouble but never went into the estate. I don't think I summoned up the courage to even go into the srippers pub on the main road. 😀

OP & Chewk..thanks for your concern & well-wishes ..which I will pass on to my nephew 👍
I also hope your son & his mate are ok and not too affected by their ordeal OP..

40 years ago (aged 8) I was mugged coming back from the shop with my dads fags. Different world :). I was jumped at a bus stop too, beaten up close to home as well. Also collared by the local constabulary, thrown against a wall and being accused of knowing exactly what I’d done. I’d literally just left work and had no one what they were on about. Sounds
like nothing much has changed (apart from buying fags as a kid).

The Cambridge estate – that’s a blast from the past. I lived in New Malden from 89-91 and used to walk past the estate a few times a week. Never saw any trouble but never went into the estate. I don’t think I summoned up the courage to even go into the srippers pub on the main road.

Robert Peel rings a bell if that's ironic... we went there once and ended up in a scrap after when some locals followed us out but it was really just a bit of a scrap and noone got hurt (any more than I do falling off my bike that happens fairly regularly) and for reasons I can't even remember it ended before anyone got seriously hurt (probably just we fought back and whatever the stupid reason was turned out to be stupid). I remember about the same time there was a stabbing at the 6 Bells (near the pool) .. and that was a HUGE DEAL.... one of my mates worked there at the time late 80's (not during the actual stabbing).

I think my point if I had one is there was plenty of "scrapping" but most of it just fizzled out... and it was incredibly rare if it escalated compared to today.

Mentions of Coventry... I went to school in Hinckley so we had the choice of Leicester or cov. A mate was mugged for his tacchini tracksuit top in cov. 1984/5. I never had any bother but like Adrian mole I never had any nice clothes. Tended to stick to Leicester though as Coventry had a bit more of a rough reputation.
My son wants to go to goldsmiths in September. New cross. The day after the open day we watched one of those police true story docs. A kid was kicked to death on the bus on new cross road...Certainly a bit of a concern.

Hahah New Cross, I had a pair of moped gang members wave a machete at me and other pedestrians there, as they needed to jump the red lights.

My brother has had similar.. as

rule of thumb ..go in groups of three..it means you have more then the teams of 2 they will likely use..

clip everything to you belt on secure caribiners..no easy grab and run..

learn how to do quick and dirty knockdown moves..easy one..one in the nuts,head swings down immediately as consequence the knee hard in the face then stamp on the back of the neck..works great on anyone of any size..

Additionally put plain black or grey chunky cases on phones ..they look like old bricks. I have a galaxy note 9 with the grey flip case from samsung ..a mate never noticed till I showed them a picture on the phone and said 'what phone is that it looks really new..'
I use a muted dtex covered wallet(super tough material) that's grey with tan metal chassis and I usually carry a multitool but my tool colour choice is black so in my dark denim they dont stand out and sink then deep in the pocket with only a paracord lanyard picking out the top..

I carry about £400 odd worth of gear.. never had a problem.. besides ..they try something and slip that knife blade out and go for the arms..when they dont expect it..

As many have said, i'm not sure there is much of a shift. I had plenty of trouble in the 90's though maybe with a leaning towards fights rather than theft but really that could just be down to the fact that we didn't carry much of value back then.
I would also agree that this is more of an issue in the UK than anywhere else i've lived.

A mini maglite is more than just a bright torch. Attach to paracord long enough to fit round, say a neck, and you have a baton and restraining device in one. So I've heard. 😎

@hodgynd any news on your nephew, he doing okay?

A 14 year was mugged in Waterfoot, Rossendale a couple if days ago, van and car blocked him in and stole his Lapierre. Not exactly downtown Harpurhey.

I think the area is targeted because of Lee Quarry, although that is almost deserted by mtbers due to the Muppets on MX

As many have said, i’m not sure there is much of a shift. I had plenty of trouble in the 90’s though maybe with a leaning towards fights rather than theft but really that could just be down to the fact that we didn’t carry much of value back then.
I would also agree that this is more of an issue in the UK than anywhere else i’ve lived.

I get the value thing but I feel muggings were not common and from my perspective perhaps were more common by the 90's ... yeah sure we had fights over stupid stuff but they weren't serious and theft occurred but mostly completely separately to violence.

If anything it was OK to have a fight (stupid but accepted)... it happened but it rarely went serious and never involved weapons ..I remember one guy had to break his own brothers arm (which was the punishment for pulling a weapon in a fight) and he was given the option to do it instead of the community carrying out the punishment and another time when someone on another estate stabbed someone from ours but the other estate took care.

There were still thefts... just I don't remember any real thefts with menaces. for example a bike might be taken but then "abandoned to be found"... so it was more of a macho BS than stealing... or bikes might go missing from the garage but that would be a different ball game and the two just didn't really meet.

@funkmasterp..
Ive not heard anything today ..but the news last night was that he was out of critical but just drifting in and out of sleep ..his mam & dad were sent home last night ..
He cant remember anything of what happened ..but apparently he didn't even know the lad who he went to help ..just that he was getting picked on by a group in a kebab shop ( this from his mate ) ..
Bloody dangerous places ..fast food outlets & taxi ranks ( or anywhere which requires you to queue in the early hours ..) ..
I should get an update a little later from his Dad ( my brother) ..
Thanks again for asking ..

Similarish series of events happened to me when I was a teenager back in the 90s

Same, both in London and leafy Buckinghamshire

The scrotes from Brentford have been visiting twickers and surrounding areas for a while now.

Unfortunately it’s endemic - we’ve had a sustained spate of kids robbing younger kids at knifepoint in the local shopping centre... making them unlock their phones and disable “find my phone”.

They’ve also been frog marching the victims to the cash points, entering the PIN numbers and then using the threat of knowing the family photos and contact details to say “if you cancel your PIN number we will stab your brother / sister / mum etc etc. Also quite a lot of completely unnecessary violence after the victims have handed over their phones, cash etc.

It must be very hard for parents to know what to do for the best.

..just that he was getting picked on by a group in a kebab shop ( this from his mate ) ..
Bloody dangerous places ..fast food outlets & taxi ranks ( or anywhere which requires you to queue in the early hours ..) ..

Those are the hot spots for troubles as people are either drunk, jumping queue (taxi and food order), looking at others' girls, speaks differently or generally just by their looks. The hotspots are along the quayside up to Bigg Market and near Newgate street. Best advise him to leave early next time rather than waiting for the closing time. During the Xmas and New Year eve I just walked around the city hotspots (was sampling the atmosphere alone) to watch the commotions and in almost all those areas you get one or two angry exchanges that almost developed into fight etc. Normally, a bit of words being exchanged then it became louder then I could see people pulling friends apart to stop fights.

I carry about £400 odd worth of gear.. never had a problem.. besides ..they try something and slip that knife blade out and go for the arms..when they dont expect it..

That is a lot of gear worth 😮

I only carry a BIG plastic pen or sometimes my metal Parker pen (for writing btw), but if I have to defend myself using my pen(s) I will ... 😬

Mentions of Coventry…

Ahh ... good old Coventry. Plenty of good memory for me there. I used to live around Bell Green area not far from the college there 😃

I used to walk all over Coventry in the weird hour after visiting friends. Best memory was the local girls taking me to The Swan (not far from city centre near the pond) and then they all started to giggle all night long when I asked why are those men were dancing with men and women looks like men. 😅

Local talk is that there is a blue hi top transit involved in this and similar attacked in surrounding towns, car believed to be a black corsa

Thread resurrection - just read in Kingston guardian online police are looking for someone in connection with an assault in Twickenham about this time. Got a picture of the suspect, was in station rd tho. Hope your sons ok.

Crime is much lower than it was 25+ years ago including crimes of violence.

My 16yr old son was robbed at knifepoint in our leafy suburb. At 3am as he walk past the corner shop. Recognised the perpetual from school. Perpetual duly arrested and got a 3 month sentence.

My daughter robbed at knifepoint in central Glasgow after leaving the under 18 event at 1030pm. Didn't help that she ignored my instructions to head straight for nearby train station and instead went to Clyde Walkway a place I would avoid at 11pm. Also reported to police buy heard nothing about it.

To complete the family trilogy, back in the 80s my wife (mid 20s) was assaulted by a stranger in Kelvingrove Park in the middle of the day. Along with other of a series of random victims she picked him out from photos. Later gave evidence and he got a decent bit of jail time.

So I suppose for us a 2 out if 3 detection and custody is a good result

It’s a lot to do with how you carry & present yourself coupled with having a good threat radar, unfortunately experience is one of the few ways of learning this.

For those concerned I’m sure there will be providers of training. For me 10 yrs in the Army with a few as a Bootie to start me off coupled with hanging out with some mates in the Old Bill seem to have been enough to keep me out of trouble.

But yeah, sadly grief has always been around - it’s just that nowadays everything gets reported.

@irc Not trying to take the piss, but in what sense is the word perpetual being used because I don't see it fitting with the context....

Perpetrator?

I intervened in a well wasnt quite a mugging, but the effect would have likely been the same. During my travels I was in a town on the south coast of England, looking for somewhere to sleep actually.
Came across a group of teens about 5 of them and they'd pinned this downs syndrome guy against a tree and were obviously bullying him.
I intervened and as is the way of most homeless I had with me a big knife, which I presented to the group and told them all to F off. Which they did, pretty quickly. the downs guy was a bit unsettled and I took him to a macdonalds and got him a cup of tea. My memory is a bit sketchy after that, I guess we probably parted company and him getting home ok.

Quite funny now to think of this, though sorry for your son. This was in the 80's and the knife one of those fearsome looking rambo affairs. I sure put the wind right up them.

Arrange for a major event once this lockdown has relaxed, maybe the beach or carnival or something, even get him to lend a hand in planning excursions around where ever you decide upon, to take his mind off that ordeal.

Perpetual?

Sorry. My mistake. Auto correct from perp. Perpetrator.