A mother who took matters into her own hands after police allegedly dismissed her son's stolen bike as 'just a bike' has expressed fury after the convicted thief avoided jail. Fiona Bateman, 54, picketed the home of David Seager in Witney, Oxfordshire, with a placard reading 'Where's My Bike Dave?' after claiming she saw him steal her son Graeme's £450 mountain bike on a neighbour's CCTV in November 2021.
Seager, 49, was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court earlier this month for eight bicycle thefts committed in the summer of 2022, but received a suspended sentence and a drug rehabilitation order. Bateman said she felt Seager had 'got away' with the alleged theft of her son's bike, which was not included in the charges. She told the court: 'It's just frustrating that he got a slap on the wrist. Where are the bikes? How about buying my son a new bike?'
Bateman claimed Thames Valley Police officers told her Graeme's bike was 'just a bike', despite the 20-year-old relying on it for transport as he does not drive. She tracked Seager down and sat outside his house for three days with her sign, receiving support from locals who brought her hot chocolate and flowers. A local Facebook group also showed solidarity.
In court, Seager was described as showing a 'sense of entitlement' and stealing bikes 'deliberately and brazenly' to get around, using bolt cutters to slice through locks. The stolen bikes ranged in value from a few hundred pounds to an e-bike worth over £2,000. Seager's barrister said his client was 'quite upset' and 'embarrassed' by the probation report, but Bateman dismissed the claim he stole for mobility as 'ridiculous'.
Bateman and her husband Bob, 64, who runs a haberdashery, said they cannot afford to replace the bike, which would cost over £400. She added: 'We just think police are overlooking crimes like bike thefts because they are not major crimes - but they really affect our lives.' The case echoes other frustrations among cyclists over perceived police inaction on bike thefts.
