The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Hunt for thief who stole autistic man’s £700 trombone from shopping centre
Mother’s appeal after son’s beloved instrument is snatched
Police are hunting a thief who stole an autistic man’s beloved trombone after he left it unattended in a Dundee shopping centre.
Sebastian Jiang, 21, had stashed the £700 musical instrument close to the entrance to the Wellgate Central Library at around 11am on Wednesday, “naively” believing it would be safe.
CCTV footage shows the instrument being picked up by a man who scurries off with it at 4.35pm.
Sebastian began learning the trombone almost 10 years ago to build his confidence and help him better cope with his autism.
He had been due to have orchestra practice on Wednesday evening but because it was cancelled, decided to stash the heavy instrument and collect it again the next day.
Sebastian’s mother Xinyi Jiang said: “I can’t think what kind of person would do something like this.
“He is naive and didn’t think anyone would take it. When I got home and realised he didn’t have it I was so worried I didn’t sleep at all.
“I rushed to the shopping centre in the morning but it wasn’t there.
“The CCTV from the library apparently shows the thief watching it for quite a while before eventually taking it.”
Sebastian is currently studying for an HND in Accountancy at Dundee & Angus College and hopes to attend Abertay University from September if he passes all his exams.
Playing the trombone has been a healthy distraction for him since his early teens and he has since reached Grade 5 in the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) exams.
The pair, who live in Tayport, have been checking local second-hand shops and online.
Xinyi has pleaded for anyone with any information to come forward.
She said: “I am quite pushy with it because I just feel it’s good for him.
“He started when he was around 13 and it gave him a chance to learn something and play it with others.
“Dundee is quite a small place so I just hope someone saw something or knows something.”
Mo Dennis, manager at the Wellgate
Shopping Centre, said: “We sincerely hope that the package can be found and returned to its owner and we will do all we can to assist the police in their inquiries.”
A police spokesperson said: “Police received a report of a trombone being stolen on Wednesday, 5 February from the entrance to the Wellgate Library. Inquiries are ongoing.”