Help find my late wife's stolen jewellery, pleads vicar who confronted burglar in his home

Rev Simon Harvey has made a heartfelt appeal for the return of the rings which he gave to his wife when they were childhood sweethearts
Vicar Simon Harvey caught this man in his home. He later found his late wife's jewellery was gone
Justin Davenport26 May 2016
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A vicar who confronted a burglar in his home stealing his late wife’s jewellery issued an emotional plea for their return today.

Rev Simon Harvey, the vicar of St Mary’s parish in Islington, whose wife Jennifer died nine weeks ago at the age of 52, confronted the man in his bedroom yesterday, snatching a blurred picture of him on his mobile phone.

In a heartfelt appeal today he posted the image of the intruder on Twitter saying: “I found this man in my house yesterday. Can you help find my late wife’s stolen jewellery? Contact police on 101.”

Islington Vicar Simon Harvey and his late wife Jennifer, whose jewellery was stolen in a burglary

The vicar told the Standard how he challenged the intruder when he confronted him but the man pushed past him and fled out of the house into the street.

Mr Harvey, also 52, pursued him down the stairs of his Islington house and into Upper Street but lost him. However, when he returned to check on his belongings he was devastated to find his wife’s rings and some of her jewellery had been stolen.

He said he had lost five rings, all of them presents to his wife over the years from the very first time they met as childhood sweethearts.

He said: “They included the first piece of jewellery that I gave her when we were teenagers, then there was her engagement ring, wedding ring and eternity ring. I found more jewellery missing and other things too.

The vicar said that he was praying for the man

“I’m heartbroken and would love to have them back. But the rings are the most precious things, they are rings that I have given her over the years from when we first met when we were teenagers at school.”

Mr Harvey, who has been the Church of England vicar at St Mary’s for the past six years, said: “I am dead keen to get these rings back but if this man can be located I would love to meet him again.

"I would like to have a long talk with him about what this all means.

“He needs to know how hurtful it is to lose these precious things that I thought I’d keep forever.”

Mr Harvey said he and the whole parish had been deeply affected by the loss of his wife after a short and sudden illness which has still not been diagnosed.

The couple, who have two grown up sons aged 25 and 24, first met at school in Wolverhampton and married in 1986. Mrs Harvey died after a sudden illness.

He said: “The loss of these rings feels like a real body blow coming after Jennifer’s loss. These are the only things I wanted to keep for the rest of my life, now they have been taken from me as well.

“I feel really crushed and sorrowed. Each of these rings has a very special memory for me. I can picture the look on Jennifer’s face every time she received one from me.

“They are not that valuable, I am a man of modest means. The wedding ring cost me £20 back in 1986 but they are priceless because of what they mean to me.

“I’d like to listen to this man’s story too. I’m praying for him, that somehow out of all this mess there could be redemption for him as well as healing for me, and justice done.”

Mr Harvey, whose Twitter biography, reads “Heavily involved with church, tea, beer, tech, Islington and things that make me stop and think,” said he had been encouraged by the hundreds of Tweets offering “solidarity and sympathy.”

When he confronted the burglar he said he realised he had to get as much information as possible to help the police. He said: “I heard myself saying out loud to him ‘Stop ! I want to take your picture.”

A Met police spokeswoman said police were called to a burglary at Upper Street at 2.30pm yesterday.

She said: “The suspect is described as a white man, 5ft 9ins tall, of medium build, with short, dark brown hair and facial stubble. He was wearing dark trousers and a grey T shirt with a white and black hoop design.”

Anyone with information this asked to call Islington CID on 101 quoting reference number 2712610/16.

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