Yahoo News Gateshead mum shares heartbreak after autistic son's bike he spent years saving for stolen
A Gateshead mum has shared her heartbreak after her son's e-bike he had spent the past two years saving up for was stolen from their home earlier this month, saying she's 'absolutely devastated' for him.
Connor Dwayre, a 14 year-old from Rowlands Gill, who has both autism and ADHD, has spent the past two years saving up his birthday, Christmas, and pocket money to buy a £4,295 Talaria Sting R electric bike. He was delighted after making his final payment at the end of July to receive his new bike just in time for the summer holidays.
However just less than two months later, the family was heartbroken to discover their outhouse had been broken into and thieves had stolen both Connor's bike and his mum's partners bike too.
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Helen Dwayre said: "Connor faces daily challenges due to his autism and all this happening has made it worse." Connor was previously assaulted in South Shields on a day out with friends in May 2022, leaving him shook up and reclusive ever since.
She added: "He ended up in hospital for the day with concussion. Since then he's became isolated and decided to stay in the house due to feeling unsafe, and began to save up all his money from Christmas, birthdays and odd jobs towards buying a bike, he wouldn't even come along to the shops to choose himself gifts.
"Connor has always developed obsessions with things due to his autism. He used to collect special 50ps and he's always loved his pedal bike. He then became fascinated with watching videos on YouTube of bike sports and tricks and he started to go to bike tracks with my partner, it became his dream to get one himself."
After two years of diligent saving, Connor's dream finally came true when the new Talaria Sting R electric bike was delivered to his house at the end of July, stating it was "the best day of his life." Connor then spent his summer trying out his new bike at Helen's uncles own private farm woodland in Highfields, away off the streets.
"This was his pride and joy," Helen added. "Every morning he would set his alarm early for 5am ready to be picked up by my uncle, ready to spend a few hours learning how to ride his new bike, practice wheelies and learn new ticks he had saw on videos
"It was amazing to see him smiling, out the house and get into his little routine. He wasn't bothering anyone and would come home every morning proud as punch and excited to tell us what he'd learnt. He would then wash his bike everyday and get his towel out and dry it and buff it all up to keep it looking brand new."
However, one September morning the family awoke to discover thieves had forced their way into the families outhouse and had stolen both Connor's bike and Helen's partner, Daniel Lartey's green Kawasaki F250 bike, which was caught on CCTV.
Helen has now set up a fundraiser in the hopes of helping Connor raise funds to secure a deposit. "It's not something I would usually do but anything to try and help. It's breaking my heart to see him so upset over this and its really affected him he's back, to watching videos again in his room."
Connor would always take his battery out of his bike after spending the day on it, so BikeSport in Newcastle where he bought it from have generously offered to buy it back off him, however the burglary has caused a massive knock on effect to his mental health.
"This has broken his heart. He even fractured his legs three weeks into having his bike so he's hardly been able to spend much time on it and now its been taken from him."
Helen ended: "We're all absolutely devastated for him, he's upset and can't understand why someone would do this."
A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: "Shortly after 7.15am on September 17, we received a report of a burglary at an address on Townley Road in the Rowlands Gill area.
"It was reported that three offenders forced entry into a locked shed and stole an electric motorbike and a dirt bike before fleeing the scene.
"Enquiries are ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact police by sending a direct message on social media, using live chat or crime report form on our website, quoting crime number: 110122T/24. If you are unable to contact us in this way, please call 101.”
