Cali Beach Attack in Cheltenham

[blondebier]

Thanks fella - i included your research with my proof of value statement - and this helped me to get a reasonable offer from the insurers.

No problem at all. Glad to have helped.

 

[Amarillo]

View attachment 26318

Great to see a brother back on the road. Best of luck.


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[MattBW]

It was a gamble taking on a category D write off, but i hope it will pay off in time. We had always intended on keeping the van long term and having lots of adventures together - and i hope we we can put this unpleasant adventure behind us and get back to having fun with our big View attachment 26318 yellow friend

So happy to hear that, wonderful news!!

 

[CALI FATE]

Update - i have bought a Karcher SC3 steam cleaner - always wanted one, and now have a good reason to buy one. Spend a few hours on the van yesterday mainly on the soft fittings - roof liner and liner above the driver. Discovered the tambour just rolls out of its slot if you need to clean it. My 26 y/o son got in the van today for first time since we got it back - he couldnt notice any effects of the fire and couldnt smell any residue of smoke. I am nearly happy with it - i have ordered a couple of odour bombs from Amazon and will let them off with the recycling air on - and see if what they do. Maybe i am being paranoid, but i get the odd whiff now and again and want it to smell like a new car again.

When my Beach was dragged onto the flat bed lorry after the fire - and the bloke told me id never see the van again it made me a bit determined to get it back - im glad i did. The insurers wrote it off at close to the correct value, and we bought back the salvage at about a 1/3 of the value - so allowing for Cat D write off we should still be on the right side of things. Just need to get the passenger seat repaired and back and we will be good to go - thanks for all the good wishes. Phoenix Beach

 

[Borris]

Well I take my hat off to you. To get it back to A1 condition after an internal fire was an enormous ask. Having been a fire investigation officer for many years, if it were my Cali, I would have almost certainly waved it goodby and written it off as irreparable due to the effects of the smoke on the internal fittings and fabrics.

The other good thing is that the Beach is such a popular and sort after vehicle that when you do decide to sell it you shouldn't have any problems getting a good price despite it's Cat D status. All you need to do is show any interested parties what a good job you have done and that the vehicle is as as good as it was before the fire.

 

[CALI FATE]

Quick update - the boys in blue have managed to get a dna match from the SOCO investigation and the scumbag who triedto steal and then set fire to my Beach has been apprehended. He is in court this week facing 5 x charges of theft and arson. He left his DNA in three other neighbouring properties - so not exactly Charles Peace - we will see how the courts deal with him - he has much previous

 

[westfalia]

Probably plead that he had a bad upbringing.
Suspended sentence and sent on a driving course.

 

[Amarillo]

He will be sentenced to a diving course in the Seychelles.


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[MattBW]

Quick update - the boys in blue have managed to get a dna match from the SOCO investigation and the scumbag who triedto steal and then set fire to my Beach has been apprehended. He is in court this week facing 5 x charges of theft and arson. He left his DNA in three other neighbouring properties - so not exactly Charles Peace - we will see how the courts deal with him - he has much previous

Let us know how it goes, be very interested.

Unfortunately many of these folks are in and out of prison all the time and have nothing to lose.

 

[Borris]

Have you got your Beach completely back to as it was before the fire yet? You were having the passenger seat recovered. How did that turn out?

 

[Elmo3]

Great news but I fear nothing will happen and no chance of him paying for his wrongdoing, which means the rest of us have to! I would at least give him a choice, firing squad or guillotene!

 

[Jay20cali]

Now there’s a guy that’s got passion for his California,to go through all that and still not give up deserves respect.
yes you may of done it to save a few quid but if you didn’t have a real passion and attachment to that van I doubt you would of gone through with all the heartache.....it may now be a cat D BUT you know the story behind it so there’s no doubt as to what actually had happened and what problems may of been botched..hats off to you pal

 

[Amarillo]

I would at least give him a choice, firing squad or guillotene!

Both are too kind. Make him suffer - for years...

I've always thought a just and measured punishment for those who don't clear up after their dog in our local park would be to put them in stocks at the summer fate and charge punters £2 per crock to catapult the contents of the poo bins at them.

Similarly, a just and measured approach to this guy would be to hand him over to VW's emissions testing laboratory and set an innocent monkey free into its natural habitat.



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[Gazellio]

OMG so horrible. Hope you get paid ASAP and find a similar van. Scum.

 

[MattBW]

OMG so horrible. Hope you get paid ASAP and find a similar van. Scum.

He bought it back and restored it to its former glory

 

[Gazellio]

 

[CALI FATE]

Update - as mentioned previously, the police caught and charged the bloke who broke in / set fire to my van - on 27th May 2018 he went for trial - i was called as a witness and had to attend a proper crown court with judge and jury. The bloke admitted to stealing my sunglasses, but denied breaking in and setting fire to the van - his dna evidence was found on the inside of the ignition plastic cowling he had broken off trying to hotwire the van. So bang to rights you would think - His defence was that he was walking along the lane and saw the drivers open and the light on, he said someone else must have broken in but was probably disturbed as he couldnt see any evidence of theft - he admitted ransacking the van, turning everything upside down and stealing a pair of sunglasses. He reckoned that after he'd gone and closed the door, another bloke must have come along and set fire to it - thats three different criminals in one evening ??? - well the jury bought it and found him not guilty of arson - he got a community order for admitting the sunglasses theft.

After the hearing, I was stood outside the court with the policeman when the bloke came out and gave me a little smirk - the policeman said not to worry he may have got away with this case but if you believe in fate (which i do) he will get his comeuppance in time

Well fate works in mysterious ways - our arsonist was fatally stabbed on Saturday evening in a Cheltenham alleyway - the police have arrested a women who is helping them with their enquiries.

Not sure what to think really

 

[Amarillo]

Update - as mentioned previously, the police caught and charged the bloke who broke in / set fire to my van - on 27th May 2018 he went for trial - i was called as a witness and had to attend a proper crown court with judge and jury. The bloke admitted to stealing my sunglasses, but denied breaking in and setting fire to the van - his dna evidence was found on the inside of the ignition plastic cowling he had broken off trying to hotwire the van. So bang to rights you would think - His defence was that he was walking along the lane and saw the drivers open and the light on, he said someone else must have broken in but was probably disturbed as he couldnt see any evidence of theft - he admitted ransacking the van, turning everything upside down and stealing a pair of sunglasses. He reckoned that after he'd gone and closed the door, another bloke must have come along and set fire to it - thats three different criminals in one evening ??? - well the jury bought it and found him not guilty of arson - he got a community order for admitting the sunglasses theft.

After the hearing, I was stood outside the court with the policeman when the bloke came out and gave me a little smirk - the policeman said not to worry he may have got away with this case but if you believe in fate (which i do) he will get his comeuppance in time

Well fate works in mysterious ways - our arsonist was fatally stabbed on Saturday evening in a Cheltenham alleyway - the police have arrested a women who is helping them with their enquiries.

Not sure what to think really

Wow! What a story...


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[soulstyledevon]

6 billion people on this overcrowded rock. That’s one less we can do without...
Case closed.

Never under-estimate the power of Karma

 

[larrylamb]

Update - as mentioned previously, the police caught and charged the bloke who broke in / set fire to my van - on 27th May 2018 he went for trial - i was called as a witness and had to attend a proper crown court with judge and jury. The bloke admitted to stealing my sunglasses, but denied breaking in and setting fire to the van - his dna evidence was found on the inside of the ignition plastic cowling he had broken off trying to hotwire the van. So bang to rights you would think - His defence was that he was walking along the lane and saw the drivers open and the light on, he said someone else must have broken in but was probably disturbed as he couldnt see any evidence of theft - he admitted ransacking the van, turning everything upside down and stealing a pair of sunglasses. He reckoned that after he'd gone and closed the door, another bloke must have come along and set fire to it - thats three different criminals in one evening ??? - well the jury bought it and found him not guilty of arson - he got a community order for admitting the sunglasses theft.

After the hearing, I was stood outside the court with the policeman when the bloke came out and gave me a little smirk - the policeman said not to worry he may have got away with this case but if you believe in fate (which i do) he will get his comeuppance in time

Well fate works in mysterious ways - our arsonist was fatally stabbed on Saturday evening in a Cheltenham alleyway - the police have arrested a women who is helping them with their enquiries.

Not sure what to think really

It certainly ended up Cali Fate for him, I doubt you are ridden with grief, the PC was right.

 

[Grumpy Mike]

Brings back memories.... Walked into a post office with my 4 yr old son... faced with post mistress covered in blood and screaming...I shouted what the F*** is going on.. A balaclavad man jumps over counter in seconds and pushes a shotgun in my face as he runs out... I suffered PTSD... son thaught it was a cartoon which was good... We knew in the end through the grapevine who it was... The police couldnt nail him... I was V annoyed..... Similar though some 5 yrs later he was killed in a motorbike accident...

It does come to those who deserve it... And great that you got the van back and are feeling a whole lot better...

 

[T6 CFO]

Jury’s are strange beasts on occasions but without knowing all the facts it’s difficult to comment.

An important factor should be what he said when originally interviewed. I’m presuming he was arrested as a result of the DNA evidence?

The usual tactic by defence in these circumstances are for them to get all the evidence and then construct a defence to fit.

The police caution is as follows should to some extent level the playing field, it does though rely on proper direction by the judge to the jury.



The police caution........

“You do not have to say anything. But, it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence.”


So when did he come up with this version of events and if it was not at his initial interview did the judge direct the jury.

It appears the police officers words were prophetic.

Mike

 

[CALI FATE]

Jury’s are strange beasts on occasions but without knowing all the facts it’s difficult to comment.

An important factor should be what he said when originally interviewed. I’m presuming he was arrested as a result of the DNA evidence?

The usual tactic by defence in these circumstances are for them to get all the evidence and then construct a defence to fit.

The police caution is as follows should to some extent level the playing field, it does though rely on proper direction by the judge to the jury.



The police caution........

“You do not have to say anything. But, it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence.”


So when did he come up with this version of events and if it was not at his initial interview did the judge direct the jury.

It appears the police officers words were prophetic.

Mike

As a life long offender he knew the system better than the CPS and the police. He was illiterate, but he managed to outwit our criminal justice system and get away with the offence.

 

[T6 CFO]

As a life long offender he knew the system better than the CPS and the police. He was illiterate, but he managed to outwit our criminal justice system and get away with the offence.

Clearly he did. It was the circumstances of how this occurred that interested me.

Often the Jury are blamed but in reality there decisions are based on how they are directed by the judge.


Mike


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[Gary&Heather]

Only one thing to say really..... RESULT