'Wrong blind person. Wrong day': Blind reporter explains how he got his phone back from a thief.
He used his sense of hearing.

People with disabilities are often victims of crime.
Sean Dilley, a blind news reporter and project lead for the BBC’s Reframing Disability Programme, was taking a break from work in the early morning hours on Tuesday, December 27, when a robber rode by on a bicycle and snatched his iPhone 14.
However, the thief didn’t know who he was messing with and Dilley was able to get his phone back.
"A man on a bike just SNATCHED and stole my iPhone from my hand, wrong blind person, wrong day. Jumped on him, safely detained and got my phone back. Quite a few cuts and bruises,” Dilley wrote on Twitter.
"I took a running jump and dive on the thief and knocked him off his bike and onto the floor I recover my phone, advised him that he was detained and called @ metpoliceuk on 999,” he continued. “I did let him go after a few minutes, but only when others arrive to help me. I absolutely could have continued to detain the gentleman, but I got my phone back and I actually didn’t want to risk injuring him I had him safely, detained on the floor, with my body weight across his legs and his wrists held to the floor."
\u201cI took a running jump and dive on the thief and knocked him off his bike and onto the floor I recover my phone, advised him that he was detained and called@ @metpoliceuk on 999 I did let him go after a few minutes, but only when others arrive to help me\u201d— Sean Dilley NEWS (@Sean Dilley NEWS) 1672124751
After Dilley let him go, the robber fled the scene of the crime. “The suspect left the scene in the direction of Greenwell Street. Enquiries are ongoing to locate them,” the Met Police said in a statement.
Although we should never underestimate people with disabilities, it is pretty incredible for someone born with congenital blindness and uses a guide dog to be able to take down a mugger and get his phone back.
After the incident, Dilley admitted that it was “stupid” for him to have put himself in harm’s way, but he was still proud of himself for getting his phone back.
Yeah, I think he might seriously think about his career choice I know it’s a really stupid thing to have done, but I’m so proud of myself x
— Sean Dilley NEWS (@seandilleyNEWS) December 27, 2022
Dilley was able to locate the thief using his hearing.
Oh very noisy bike, very fast, reflexes and adrenaline were on the pavement, and a very noisy bike, dropped onto the road, and the out of breath thief made a perfect audio, Target
— Sean Dilley NEWS (@seandilleyNEWS) December 27, 2022
People were concerned that Dilley was hurt. But apart from minor scrapes, he was fine.
O no Sean hope your ok what a horrible thing to happen .. good on you for fighting back
— Emb Hashmi (@EmbJournalist) December 27, 2022
I’m glad you not too badly hurt Sean, but also, wow… well done.
— George Mann 🫧⚒️🫧 (@sgfmann) December 27, 2022
Goodness me. Good for you… but blimey. Glad you’re ok, ish. Take it gently today!
— Jen Bartram (@JenBartram) December 27, 2022
Dilley’s story shows we should never underestimate how tough people with disabilities can be but it also highlights an issue that needs more attention. Disabled people are more likely to be victims of crime.
According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, “Persons with disabilities were victims of 26% of all nonfatal violent crime while accounting for about 12% of the population” from 2009 to 2019. The study also states that one in three people who are victims of robbery has at least one disability and the rate of violent victimization for people with disabilities is almost four times that of those without.
The highest rates of victimization are among people with cognitive disabilities. They are about 7 times more likely to be victims of violent crimes than people without disabilities.
Dilley was brave to go after his assailant to get his phone back and is a wonderful example of courage. Let’s hope that his bravery dissuades other criminals from victimizing people with disabilities.
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."
This article originally appeared in May.