Remorseful thief apologises, returns mountain bike — one year later

A MAN in Melbourne’s south woke this morning to find his $1200 bike returned more than a year after it was stolen, along with a handwritten note.

A MELBOURNE man woke this morning to find his $1200 bike returned, more than a year after it was stolen, along with a handwritten apology note.

Owen Claridge’s wife spotted the bike in their front yard in Parkdale and rushed inside to deliver the good news.

“I am so sorry,” the sticky-taped note said in hasty orange highlighter.

Mr Claridge’s Diamondback mountain bike was a little weather-beaten, but relatively unscathed.

“It doesn’t look like it has even been used,” he said.

Someone obviously felt some remorse for stealing a $1200 bike.

Mr Claridge said he had “long ago” given up on ever seeing the bike again.

“I just put it down to bad luck at the time,” Mr Claridge said.

“I wasn’t able to afford another one, so I went off biking after that.”

He met with Mordialloc police this morning to report the strange reappearance, who agreed it was “pretty weird”.

Despite the thief’s remorse, police investigators will still be obliged to follow up on the incident.

Mr Claridge is just happy to be able to get out on the road again.

“I guess I accept their apology,” he said.

Victoria Police data from the last decade revealed January and March are the worst months for bicycle thefts in the state, with around 460 bikes stolen on average during each period.

Brunswick, Fitzroy, Richmond and St Kilda are consistently the suburbs with the highest rates of bike thefts, according to the 2015 statistics.

Originally published as Remorseful thief apologises, returns mountain bike — one year later