AN AUSTRALIAN couple visiting Winchester had their property stolen from a rental car, including vital medication one of them needed to treat her stage four cancer.
The man and woman, who are from Canberra and do not wish to be named, were visiting Esme Holding, 65, of Parchment Street.
At around 5am on Monday, September 2, the red Hyundai Tucson was broken into and several items stolen, including a suitcase full of the invaluable drugs used to treat cancer.
Esme describes how the woman "wailed" in distress after she realised she did not have access to the meds keeping her cancer at bay.
Once they realised what had happened, Esme contacted the police, who helped track some of the missing items using the couple's Apple AirPods, which can be tracked. However, they were soon discarded and the chase went cold.
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Later that day, at around 7pm, Esme, who was walking her dog in Hyde, decided to look in the bins nearby on the off chance she might find some of the stolen items.
She said: "I went for a dog walk and that the chances are they'll just put it in the bin – and there it was."
Inside one of the bins she found the missing suitcase, which no longer contained the woman's medication, and immediately told the police.
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In a Facebook post about the incident, the couple wrote: "Today we have witnessed the worst and best in people. Strangers and police helped us look in bins, knock on doors and cared about our plight.
"Tomorrow will be different and we will be changed, but luckier, because we got to know Esme and her lovely dogs. They helped us manage a truly awful day."
All belongings have since been returned to the couple, who will continue their holiday in London.
Police have confirmed that Sam Mykel Irving, 39, of Hyde Gate, Winchester, has been charged with theft. He is due to appear in Basingstoke Magistrates' Court on September 25.
Another Winchester man, 49, was arrested on suspicion of theft from a motor vehicle and has been released on bail until December 7.
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