It was obvious he was casing my house.. so I confronted him
Anger over death spot tributes to villain
looking around. “Then he said something I couldn’t understand, so I asked him to repeat it and he said ‘I’ve just got a shed and I need something to attach it with to the van. Can I look in your skip for some rope?’ “I said there’s no rope in that skip, so no. He seemed agitated and was still looking side to side and then he spotted some green plastic ties THREE bouquets of flowers and two cards paying tribute to career criminal Henry Vincent were yesterday left close to the spot where he lay dying.
A note inside one card, tied to a post 80 yards from the house he was burgling, claimed he was that had been cut off slabs we’d had delivered. He asked if he could have those. I didn’t want a confrontation so I told him ‘Yes’.
“I instantly regretted my decision because as he went down the side of the house I watched him on the cameras again and I could see he was now scanning the side of the house and looking all around.
“At that point I went out with the dog and he saw me watching him.
“He asked me ‘Can I have those rabbit runs?’ – to which I told him ‘No’.
“It was obvious he was casing the house, so as soon as he and his friend “loved and cared for by many”, had “a heart of gold” and added: “May God bless you and give you peace in Heaven... truly sadly missed”.
It is understood the tributes were left under cloak of darkness in the early hours. Social media drove off my wife rang 101 and reported him. I wanted to make sure they had gone so I took the dog out for a walk and while I was walking in a field nearby I saw them stop near some building supplies in the garden of a house and then have a good look before driving off again.” tributes were also paid, with one from Vincent’s daughter saying: “My daddy was some man.”
Locals were outraged by the floral tributes. One said: “I have no sympathy. The family are criminals who target old people.”
Another resident said: “He
SUSPECTED
The owner lives just around the corner from a property burgled last November.
Retired engineer Cyril Goodearl, 78, lost a box full of sentimental valuables in that raid – which Vincent is suspected of. The man who captured Vincent on CCTV added: “It’s clear from the burglary on our neighbour that this guy knew our area. We were really worried they would come back that night and that evening my children found it hard to sleep.
“We moved everything from outside the house and I stayed up and kept checking the CCTV.
“We were on edge for the two days afterwards until we saw he had been killed. It’s just lucky it was a Bank Holiday and we were here.
“And we’re very fortunate, obviously, that I’m a strong guy and that we have does not deserve any flowers.” Footage also emerged yesterday of a teenaged Vincent facing former world champion boxer David Haye in 1995.
They fought in a junior bout at Fitzroy Lodge Amateur Boxing Club in Lambeth, South London.