Heartbreaking Theft in Brighton North Lanes

Please Share: Heartbreaking Distraction Theft in Brighton North Lanes

On the afternoon of January 17th, 2025, a truly upsetting and cruel crime took place in Brighton’s North Lanes.

Steph and her disabled mum, Mandy, were targeted by a gang of professional thieves, leaving their lives in turmoil. Steph and Mandy had visited Michael Bloomstein (Gloucester Rd) to sell off a collection of gold so as to aid and relieve the family of the financially difficult times and hoped to raise funds to help support Steph’s young son who suffers with Epilepsy - focal and tonic-clonic seizures, by investing in life changing piece of medical aid equipment - an epilepsy monitoring camera which they had hoped would help to bring safety and alleviate some of the family's anxiety and stress that has been impacting their lives due to this condition.

Here’s what happened:

After raising some of the funds needed, Steph and her mum left Michael Bloomstein’s shop and walked back to the car slowly, due to Mandy’s health and breathing problems. The car was parked outside ‘Beyond Retro’ on the corner. They both got into the car and steph placed her bag in the passenger footwell beside Mandy, ready to drive away.

From CCTV footage we have learned that the gang’s calculated scheme began with a few men surveilling the area and one of the men stood watching Michael Bloomstein’s shop to find their intended victim(s). Steph and Mandy were watched in the shop and were followed by one of the men from the group, an Arab looking male, back to the car and placed a device by the car’s back wheel, designed to puncture the tyre when driven. Both Steph and Mandy were completely unaware of these criminals that had targeted them.

Moments later, after Steph pulled off the tyre punctured and became flat, a second suspect, male of oriental background, flagged Steph down, urging her to check the damage. Distracted and worried, she pulled over to find the tyre was completely flat within seconds and she could hear it hissing. Steph was on her way to pick up her son from an incident at school when this happened and now in a panic, knowing she now couldn’t get there, she called her son’s dad for help. He was working just down the road (where she works also). Steph ran down to him briefly leaving her mum Mandy in the car.

As Mandy waited, another member of the gang approached and a woman of oriental background knocked on the passenger window, pretending to find “money on the ground.” She concerningly beckoned Mandy out of the car saying “quick, money has dropped”. Mandy looked to the back of the car and saw money on the ground that the women was picking up and Mandy got out of the car closing the door behind her, when she saw an English looking man also picking up the money. She then returned to car with the money but in that small exchange, another thief had entered the car and stolen the bag from the footwell.

The bag contained:

Sentimental & Valuable gold/silver items, Worth thousands - some of which were to be valued so full cost unknown.

All the cash raised approx. £2500, along with food shopping/bill money approx. £150, Son’s Christmas money approx. £50, and Son’s emergency medication.

Steph’s partners spare car key, her ID, driver’s license, Bank cards and personal letters and Personal information.

A 30th birthday gold chain gifted by her partner the father to her son, irreplaceable treasures, and more.

The family have since learned by looking through CCTV, that there were a number of individuals working within this gang to orchestrate this crime and it has been very unsettling and upsetting to know what has happened. Steph and Mandy have both expressed that they have never experienced anything like this before and has left them both feeling extremely vulnerable, worried and unsafe. Mandy has suffered greatly from the stress, worry and shock and has made her quite unwell afterwards too. She did not go out much before due to her health however now she is even more reluctant to do so after this event, and this is very sad.

This isn’t just a theft, it is vandalism and a violation that has left Steph and Mandy shaken, vulnerable, and heartbroken. Mandy has severe breathing difficulties (COPD) and was preyed upon, while Steph, a loving and caring mum, has been left crushed knowing her plans to support her son have been destroyed. Everything was taken in an instant, leaving the family devastated and heartbroken. They’re now working with the police, but the financial and emotional toll is overwhelming.

They’ve worked tirelessly with police, combing through CCTV footage to identify the criminals and are doing all that they can to help the investigation and bring awareness to the community in hope that it will spare others from becoming victims of such a heartless and terrible crime.

Although they are proud working people, and wouldn’t put this up themselves, I and others believe that Steph, Mandy and their family would be deserving of the communities support to help them recover from this heartbreaking ordeal so we’ve set up a GoFundMe to:

1️⃣ Help to replace the stolen funds and cover essential expenses.

2️⃣ Help to purchase the epilepsy monitoring camera for Steph’s son.

3️⃣ Support them as they rebuild their lives after this devastating crime.

Any donation would help but If you can’t donate, please help by sharing this post. Every share spreads the word and increases the chance of helping this family during their darkest time and spread awareness to others throughout our community and city. Help us ensure no one else falls victim to cruel orchestrated crimes such as these.

If anyone has any information or saw anything suspicious near Beyond Retro in Brighton’s North Lanes, Gloucester Road or Kensington Place on January 17th between 2pm – 2.15pm

Let’s stand together against these vile acts.