Cops Link Amateur Window Cleaners + Raymonds Last Note

Cops link gang to window cleaners: Police believe gang members are linked to amateur window cleaners offering their services in Christchurch. Police are worried the window cleaners maybe casing properties for burglaries. Inspector Dave Lawry (pictured above) confirmed yesterday that a gang member had turned up to a property when police were called to a house whe the owner became concerned when a window cleaner offered to wash his windows. Police believe the window cleaner and gang member were connected.

Police have become increasingly concerned about the motives of amateur window cleaners in eastern Christchurch, who have been turning up at properties unannounced and offering to wash windows. Inspector Lawry said the public should be very cautious. "Police are aware of this group and will be keeping a close watch on their activities," he said. "They do not appear to be linked to any recognised cleaning company, and seemed to be approaching local properties at random.

"We urge householders to be cautious. There's a strong possibility that these window cleaners are using the business as a ruse to approach houses and establish if they are unoccupied. "Where they do undertake cleaning, they may be using the opportunity to identify items of interest inside or around the property for future burglaries."

The window cleaners were known to have targeted properties in South Brighton in recent weeks. One elderly man paid $25 to have his windows cleaned. Properties in South Brighton had been visited by window cleaners in recent weeks. Inspector Lawry urged householders to be cautious about who they let onto their properties, ask any door-to-door window cleaners for identification, and to report any suspicious approaches to police. The first blog about this story here.

"We have always wondered what triggered him to do it, if he had just had a customer say no that day."

Police failed to tell widow about window cleaning husband's suicide note: A widow spent almost a year wondering why her husband took his own life because police did not tell her about a suicide note. Window cleaner Raymond Curtis, who suffered from depression, was found dead at a lock-up garage in Seagull Road, Strood, in March last year. But it was not until an inquest into his death 10 months later that his wife discovered officers had picked up a hand-written letter from the bonnet of his car.

Heather Curtis was giving evidence at the hearing when coroner Roger Sykes questioned her about the note. She replied: "Note? I knew of no note." She added: "We have always wondered what triggered him to do it, if he had just had a customer say no that day." Mrs Curtis sobbed as she read the note outside the inquest court before the hearing continued. The coroner, who recorded a verdict of suicide, apologised to Mrs Curtis and said the police officer who dealt with the case would be spoken to.

The inquest heard how Mr Curtis, 58, of Darnley Road, Strood, had been diagnosed as clinically depressed three years before he died. He had been unable to work for a short time when he broke his foot and Mrs Curtis said it led him on a downward spiral as he worried about the future. Mrs Curtis went looking for her husband when he did not come home from work on March 2 last year and found him hanging in the garage.

They had three children, Jemimah, 32, Damian, 30, and Barclay, 28, and a one-year-old grandson. Mrs Curtis paid tribute to her husband of 32 years: "We miss him madly. He was a very sensitive, caring person." After the inquest, DCI Andy Pritchard said: "Our officers spoke to Mrs Curtis straight after the incident and spent around 45 minutes with her talking over the possible circumstances of her husband's death, including some details that had been left in the note. "This was a very emotional time for all of those involved, however, if our officers did not directly show the note to Mrs Curtis then we do apologise for any distress that was caused."