Sunday Tribune

Desperately seeking stolen bridal gown

LETHU NXUMALO lethu.nxumalo@inl.co.za

BURGLARS put a dampener on the festive season for a Durban family when they made off with a valuable wedding gown meant to have become an heirloom.

The Lukan family were on holiday when their Essenwood home was burgled. Their neighbour alerted them to the break-in and also called the police.

Michelle Lukan, who married her husband, Chris, in 2019, said she was saddened by the ordeal and “the thought of what they are doing” to her dress was the worst part of it.

The full-length beaded lace dress with a tulle half-skirt was designed by her close friend Sadie Bosworth Smith, who was also her bridesmaid. Lukan said Smith had picked the dress for her because she understood her style and knew she would fall in love with it.

“I am hoping for a miracle to find the dress, but the chances of me getting it back are so slim,” she said.

Lukan told the Sunday Tribune that they were unsure when the burglary took place, but speculated that the thieves broke in on the morning of December 24.

“They broke in through our electric gate, lifted it off its hinges, and went into our garage and the storeroom. They also went into the back of our property and broke into the staircase that leads to our house,” she said. “They managed to break down the Trellidor security gate, which meant they then had access to the property.”

A number of other items were stolen together with the wedding gown,

including drill sets, a laptop, gym bags, a hair dryer, and even a malva pudding.

“They stole random stuff,” she said. “But they were only able to access a portion of the house, from the spare room to the kitchen, by dodging the beams. That’s why I think we didn’t

lose everything, otherwise they would have cleaned us out.”

She said police came to the property to take fingerprints while the family was still away. They returned from their holiday on January 4, but they have yet to hear from the investigating officer.

“I was hoping to pass the dress on to my daughter, so that one day she would be able to use it or have fun with it,” she said.

If the dress cannot be found, Lukan’s designer would not be able produce a replica of it for her.

“It was incredibly time-consuming

and costly for her to make it,” she explained. “I’d be lucky if I found the same lace again. Sadie bought it years ago, and there was only one piece of it left at the time. She wouldn’t be able to make another one.”

Lukan has also turned to social media for assistance with her search.

METRO

en-za

2022-01-16T08:00:00.0000000Z

2022-01-16T08:00:00.0000000Z

https://sundaytribune.pressreader.com/article/281543704289042

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