Maidstone mum Sarah Beckley appeals to thieves to return phone containing important family photos

Published: 00:01, 12 May 2015

A grieving mum who lost hundreds of photos of her daughter’s grave when her phone was stolen is appealing for the thieves to return it.

Sarah Beckley was devastated when she discovered her mobile had been taken in what she believes was a distraction theft during a night out at Mumu, Maidstone, on Saturday.

As well as irreplaceable pictures of her five-year-old son Daniel’s first day at school, many of the 7,000 images she lost were of the grave of her daughter, Abi, who was stillborn in 2009.

Sarah Beckley with a photo of her daughter's grave. Picture: Martin Apps

Now an online plea for the phone to be returned has been shared more than 3,500 times.

The 27-year-old, of Buckland Hill in Maidstone, said: “I was just heartbroken when I realised the photos had gone. I hadn’t been able to back them up so now they are lost. It makes me so emotional.

“I haven’t been able to sleep. I feel like every few minutes a wave of sadness comes over me when I remember what I have lost" - Sarah Beckley

“It sounds silly but for years we have gone to the grave for Christmases, birthdays, Easters and anniversaries and I take photos because that is all I have of her.

"She is dead so that grave is everything to me.

“I haven’t been able to sleep. I feel like every few minutes a wave of sadness comes over me when I remember what I have lost.

"I can only think that the person who took it just had no empathy.

"They would have seen a photo of my son standing at the grave, which is my background picture, before they turned it off.”

The suspected theft happened at around 12.30am on Sunday.

"Miss Beckley, who works at Boots in the Mall Chequers, says she believes it was taken by a short blonde woman, who rammed into her at the Week Street nightspot, sending the contents of her bag flying.