Burglar vs Victim = BESTFRIENDS!!!

DENGAN  NAMA  ALLAH  YANG  MAHA  PEMURAH  LAGI  MAHA  PENYAYANG

(Tidaklah  aku  menulis  hari  ini  melainkan  dengan  keizinan  dari-Nya)

PETER  WOOLF,  a  life  long  criminal,  broke  into  Will  Riley's  home  one  March  evening.  Will  found  Peter  standing  in  his  hall,  his  pockets  stuffed  with  money  and  jewellery.

Peter  was  jailed  for  three  years  for  the  burglary.  So,  it's  hard  to  think  of  them  becoming  friends...

Here,  Will  and  Peter  describe  their  first  encounter,  and  why  meeting  each  other  again  was  the best  thing  for  both  of  them...

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WILL  RILEY,  the  Victim:

I  was  getting  ready  to  go  to  the  gym  when  I  walked  into  my  hall  and  stopped  dead.  There,  standing  on  the  stairs,  was  a  man  about  the  same  age  as  me,  dressed  in  a  scruffy  leather  jacket.

"What  are  you  doing  here?"  I  asked  in  shock.  He  said  he  was  a  neighbour  who'd  got  lost.  But  it  was  obvious  who  he  was.

I  was  suddenly  scared.  I  thought,  "If  he  got  a  knife,  he  could  kill  me."  We  kind  of  fought  with  each  other.  A  passer-by  saw  us  and  phoned  the  police.  Somehow,  I  managed  to  hold  him  until  the  police  arrived.  It  was  only  after  they  arrested  him  and  took  him  away  that  a  policeman  asked  if  I  was  OK.  I  put  my  hand  to  my  head  and  felt  blood.  I  hadn't  realized  what  he'd  done  to  me.  It's  incredible,  but  I  just  didn't  register  that  he'd  hit  me  really  hard.  He'd  smashed  a  flower  pot  on  my  head,  and  all  the  bits  were  on  the  ground.  I  went  to  hospital  and  needed  snitches.

After  the  burglary,  my  whole  life  changed.  I've  always  lives  in  big  cities,  and  I've  never  been  afraid  of  urban  crime,  but  suddenly  I  became  too  frightened  to  open  my  front  door.  All  I  could  think  was  "What  if  my  daughter  had  been  at  home?  Would  he  have  attacked  he?"

I  was  asked  to  meet  the  burglar  in  prison.  I  wasn't  sure  what  the  purpose  was,  but  I  went  anyway.  I  was  curious.

We  sat  in  the  prison  library,  and  he  explained  how  he'd  come  from  a  dysfunctional  family,   was  a  heroin  addict  and  spent  his  life  in  and  out  of  jail.  He  spoke  without  any  emotion.  But  it  was  when  he  suddenly  said,  "Last  time  we  met..."  that  exploded.

We  didn't  meet  in  a  bar,  you  little....!  You  broke  into  my  house!"  I  was  so  angry.  I  screamed  at  him,  "Why  me?"  Why  did  you  do  this  to  me?  Why  did  you  ruin  my  life?"

I  could  see  from  his  face  that  I  had  got  through  to  him.  He  looked  stunned.  It  was  then  I  realized  he  was  just  an  ordinary  guy.  And  I  wanted  to  help  him...

When  I  got  home,  I  felt  relieved.  All  my  fears  disappeared.  Because  I  could  see  Peter  was  just  a  normal  human  being,  he  became  less  frightening.

When  he  was  finally  released,  we  stayed  in  touch.  I've  met  him  dozens  of  time  since  and  the  change  in  him  is  amazing.  It's  hard  to  believe  he's  the  same  person  who  broke  into  my  home.  He's  totally  different.

I'm  delighted  that  I've  done  something  to help  Peter  get  his  life  back.

PETER  WOOLF,  50  -  the  Robber

It  was  easy  to  break  into  Will's  house.  Just  one  push  and  the  lock  broke.  I  quickly  took  some  gold  jewellery  and  some  money  from  upstairs.  I  was  feeling  lucky.

But  when  I  was  coming  downstrairs  and  I  bumped  into  Will  in  the  hall,  I  suddenly  felt  frightened.  I  thought,  he's  a  big  guy.  If  he  wanted  to,  he  could  hurt  me."

I  tried  to  escape.  I  didn't  want  to  hit  him,  but  I  did.  I'm  not  a  violent  guy,  but  I  just  did  what  I  had  to  do.  There  was  a  flower  pot,  and  I  smashed  it  on  his  head.

After  I  was  arrested,  all  I  felt  was  a  big  sense  of  relief.  I  was  going  back  to  a  place  I  knew  well.  I'd  been  in  and  out  of  prison  for  18  years,  for  theft,  burglary,  and  fraud.

I  started  using  drugs  when  I  was  10  and  became  an  addict  at  14.  I'd  hit  rock  bottom.  I  stole  because  it  was  the  only  thing  I  knew  how  to  do.  I  knew  it  would  only  lead  me  back  to  prison.

I  was  given  a  three-year  sentence.  It  was  while  I  was  in  jail  someone  mentioned  Restorative  Justice.  I  couldn't   see  the  point,  but  I  agreed  to  do  it  because  I  was  bored.

It  wasn't  until  I  started  walking  down  the  corridor  towards  the  library  that  I  got  scared.

When  I  got  there  I  sat  down  and  just  looked  at  the  floor.  I  said  the  same  rubbish  I  always  used  to  say  to  the  police.  But  Will  was  furious,  and  I  was  shocked.  I  thought,  "My  God,  I  did  all  this."

I  suddenly  realized  that  I  was  responsible  for  this  man's  pain.  He  wasn't  just  a  faceless  nobody  that  I'd  stolen  from.  I  felt  angry  with  myself,  and  ashamed.  I  was  determined  to  make  things  better.

I  did  a  course  of  rehab  to  get  off  drugs.  I  also  started  a  course  to  be  a  counsellor.

It  was  at  the  counselling  class  that  I  met  Louise.  I  was  over  the  moon.  And  my  life  changed  completely...

I  was  released  early  18  months,  and  Louise  and  I  got   married.  Life  hasn't  been  easy,  but  I've  worked  hard  to  get  things  together.

I'm  now  helping  others.  I'm  clean  of  drugs  and  haven't  committed  another  crime.  I  feel  proud  of  myself.  These  days,  I  consider  myself  lucky  that  I  broke  into  Will's  house  that  day.  If  I  hadn't  -  and  if  we  hadn't  become  friends  -  I  don't  know  what   I  would  have  done.  I  guess  I'd  be  dead  by  now.                                  

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