Grieving sister used tracker to catch memorial thief

Grieving sister used tracker to catch memorial thief7 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleMatt WeigoldDerbyGeorgia ShawGeorgia Shaw’s brother, Benn Johnson, was killed by a dangerous driver in 2024A woman whose brother was killed in a car crash said she found the man who removed his roadside memorial three times by installing a tracking device.The tribute to Benn Johnson, 22, had stood at the site of the crash in Derby for two years but was taken on 2 June before its replacement also vanished five days later.His sister Georgia Shaw then added new photos with a tracker attached and when these were taken it led the family to the home of a stranger who told her: "I don't want you to have a shrine."Derbyshire Police confirmed it was investigating reports of memorial items being removed from Pastures Hill in Littleover and a man in his 60s had been spoken to by the force.A spokesperson for Derby City Council confirmed the authority will sometimes remove roadside shrines following requests from the public but had not received a request in this case and was "glad" police were looking into the matter.Shaw said she can still recall the moment she and her crying stepmother confronted the thief and asked him if he had any idea what it was like to lose a child."He didn't even flinch, there was no emotion," she said. "He just kept repeating, 'I don't want you to have a shrine'."It is totally bizarre to just start antagonising a family."Georgia ShawShaw described her younger brother as a very hard-working joiner and a massive Derby County fanShaw described her younger brother as a hard-working joiner and a huge Derby County fan.“He was incredible, the funniest life and soul, he would light up any room that he'd go into,” she said.On the evening of 10 June 2024, Benn and his younger brother, Finn, were passengers in a Vauxhall Corsa being driven erratically by their 19 year-old friend, Kiran Hanso...