Ring theft sees widow lose husband 'all over again'

A widow appealing for the return of her late husband's wedding ring said its theft during a house move had been like "losing him again".

Jodie Smith and her husband Adrian had been served with a no-fault eviction notice while he was dying from brain cancer, with the contract on a new home not being exchanged until the day of his funeral.

Mrs Smith said she had been in a "constant state of distraction and just exhausted" during the move and had accidentally left a box containing jewellery on the driveway at her new address in the Cradley Heath, Sandwell.

She is offering a £1,000 reward for the wedding ring and other items of jewellery to be returned.

The move happened on 8 February and Mrs Smith realised items were missing the following day, when police were informed.

West Midlands Police said officers were alerted to a theft from Halesowen Road and appealed for anyone with information to contact the force.

Mrs Smith said she had nursed her 55-year-old husband for the past year before his death at their home in Willenshall, Walsall, but had been told they had to move out while he was ill.

"During all of this, we had a no-fault eviction notice and we had to move house," she explained.

"So we found a property next to where Adrian worked actually, with the view from Adrian that his workmates would always be on hand to look after me.

"And stupidly - I think I was just in a constant state of distraction and just exhausted - I left the box containing not only Adrian's wedding ring which was just awful but also the jewellery that belonged to my mother who died during Covid."

A neighbour's CCTV recorded two people rummaging through the box, although the footage is not clear enough to make out their identities.

"I initially thought I'd been burgled and when the reality sank in of what I'd actually done, I'd left the boxes out there," Mrs Smith said.

"It was just unfortunate that these two individuals at five in the morning chose to go through the box and take the items."

Mrs Smith said her mother's antique silver charm bracelet was quite tarnished and had a fish, jester, ballerina and an engagement and wedding ring charm on it.

She said she had also lost a locket with a photo of her mother inside.

"I just want the items returned," she said.

"They hold very little monetary value but they have a huge sentimental value to me.

"I feel like I've got nothing left valuable in the world to be honest after they were taken."

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