Grieving sister used tracker to catch memorial thief

A 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."

Shaw 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 Hanson when it collided with a Range Rover shortly before 22:00 BST.

Benn was treated by paramedics at the scene but died from internal injuries.

Hanson subsequently pleaded guilty to causing death and serious injury by dangerous driving and was jailed for 10 years.

Finn suffered a broken back, sternum and hand.

“Mentally, he watched his older brother die at the side the road. You can only imagine what that is like for an 18-year-old boy,” said Shaw.

In the period that followed, the collection of cards, flowers, candles and a personalised registration plate became a poignant place for Benn's loved ones to remember him.

“They'd just sit with him and just think about Benn. It’s something that I think has really helped Finn with his recovery process,” said Shaw.

However on 4 June, Finn made his weekly visit to the memorial to find all the items were missing.

The family contacted Derby High, the nearby school and Derby City Council, but neither knew where the items had gone.

On 6 June, the family met to put more photographs at the site, ahead of the second anniversary of Benn’s death but by 09:00 the following morning, these items had also been removed.