An agent out on a routine call was left terrified by a car-jacking incident in which the assailants wore balaclavas.
She was ordered out of her Audi, which was driven away and has not been recovered.
The judge, sentencing the two teenagers who carried out the crime, said the agent was in fear of now doing the job and no longer showed tenants round properties.
The terrifying incident happened in February, Bradford Crown Court heard.
The agent had gone to meet a tenant but after she wound down her window, one of the 16-year-olds leaned in and grabbed the car keys.
After a struggle, the agent got out of the car and he got into the driving seat.
CCTV showed the Audi, worth some £40,000, being driven away in convoy with a BMW thought to have been used to get to the scene and which had been stolen the day before.
The pair were arrested two days later and a mobile phone which was recovered had a video clip from a social media post, showing one of the two driving the stolen Audi.
Judge Rose sentenced one of the youths to three years’ detention and the other to 18 months.
The judge said of the unnamed agent: “She was vulnerable by being alone, by reason of her gender, and because she was sitting down. You gave her no opportunity to make an escape or avoid what was coming.
“It isn’t just about the car. It’s the fear that she can no longer do the job because of the fear that it would happen again.”
All Agents should review their “Viewing” procedures after reading this story.
A timely reminder on security/personal security.
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Reading it -it’s the car that was the draw. The fact that she was on a viewing is not relevant is it?
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DASH94….
She? …..ok, we’ll use your basic term ……She, was more likely to be vulnerable than a male (although she may have been a Black Belt?). The car was certainly the draw however was “She” given any training by her employer re what to do in such a heart-stopping incident for a lone female?
I hate to rewind to my previous career, however when I was Mr Plod….. I attended the consequences of incidents involving lone females placed in vulnerable/seemingly straightforward situations. The NHS put a lot of effort into safety/personal security for their staff (a high percentage being female).
So, to dismiss it as “just the car” ……it’s a pretty lame assumption, in the sense of it doesn’t consider the whole “event”.
Even Police Officers, who are highly trained, occasionally make the wrong choice and pay the consequences …..and as we witnessed very recently, paid with their life.
No drama required, just spare a thought and consider “does everyone have an idea how to react in lone/vulnerable situations”. If not, or if in doubt, then take some time and deliver appropriate advice/training – someone, somewhere will most likely be very grateful.
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Bring back Borstal and the Birch. And National Service.
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IMHO, when I do a compliance audit, lone working training and understanding is at the bottom of the scoresheet
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Then I strongly suggest you make such training a priority so that every member of the organisation – from top to bottom – understands risk minimisation, procedure, and actions.
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Darrel, I agree with you on this one never really seen as a priority but, in this case a couple of scroats saw something they wanted and unlike hardworking normal folk they decided to take it. This is increasingly common in today’s society where the lazy so and so’s never work for anything anymore they just take seeing it as a victimless crime – the insurance will pay up! It is high time that the justice system was overhauled to ensure that sentencing deterred them and once inside they were not treated like hotel guests and they feared dropping the soap in the showers!
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Plain and simple truth for this and ALL offences, ( even Terror-related ) is that the UK does NOT have effective punishment deterents.
Our prisons have “canteen Fridays ” where all their Amazons purchases and goodies are exchanged for drugs bought illicitly ‘inside’ during the week – then they fight and create disorder over the weekend.
All this costs the Tax-payer £40 k per year !!!
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Worth companies reviewing their viewing / checking procedures but at the same time, far too lenient a sentence.
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