Early Sunday morning, Barbara Sinnott of Gorey, County Wexford woke to hear intruders in her home.
At first she thought it was her son, Dean tossing in his sleep but she quickly realised that was not the case.
Barbara was asleep at the time of the break-in with her partner Neville Sexton.
Barbara said to The Independent:
“I thought it was Dean at first but then I realised it was a different sound and that there was someone downstairs. I woke Nev and we went down.”
After that the whole thing happened very quickly.
“Nev stopped me from going into the sitting room and we saw them running out the back. I went out the front door and saw a guy jumping into a silver car.”
The devastating part of this story is that the intruders decided to take Barbara’s laptop which had pictures of their eldest son Craig who passed away almost ten years ago to cancer.
“I chased after him and begged him for the laptop because it has all the pictures and videos we have of our late son Craig who died in 2006. I didn't care about anything else they had taken. I just wanted the laptop.”
“All our photos of the boys were on it and video. All our photos, our memories, our videos, that's what so devastating. I'd love to get them back. Things like the television and computer games can be replaced over time but the personal information on the laptop is irreplaceable and it's no good to anyone only us.”
“When the Gardaí arrived they told me I was either a very brave woman or a silly girl for chasing after them. But I just didn't think. I was so desperate to get our precious pictures. I do think that the driver would have ran me over though if I hadn't gotten out of the way.”
Anyone with any information can contact Gardaí in Gorey at 053 942 1222
