Stolen baby's ashes add to heartache for parents

as posted here

A KATANNING couple still coming to terms with the death of their baby daughter earlier this year received a further cruel blow during a visit to Perth last week.

Horse trainer Dean Bielby (34) and wife Sharon (37) had stopped for breakfast at McDonald’s restaurant in Maddington when their car was broken into and the cremated ashes of their child stolen.

The couple had stayed overnight in Cannington after returning a horse to its owner in Bullsbrook. They stopped at the restaurant at the corner of Albany Highway and Olga Road about 10am on Sunday, August 30.

Mr Bielby said he and his wife were distressed at the loss of their daughter’s ashes, which they usually kept at their home but had decided to travel with on this occasion.

The baby had died during pregnancy at 19 weeks and the couple had decided to keep her ashes. They were kept in a blue-tinged box slightly bigger than a cigarette packet and with a butterfly on top.

The box was in a brown Hessian bag with Broome written on it at the time of its theft. Other items were also stolen from the car, including a mobile phone.

Thieves smashed the passenger side front window to get into the locked car, which was in the restaurant’s car park.

Last week horse-mounted police combed the area in an effort to recover the stolen items and Armadale Detectives have appealed to anyone with any information about the offence to contact them on 9399 0234.


as posted here