Do we have some sort of psychic connection
I have an employee who stole a fair amount of money from me.. Several thousand pounds.
She confessed to me and agreed to pay it back. I have a taped phone call of her agreeing to pay it back. Multiple alterations to computer records to try and hide the theft.
CPS say not enough evidence
I imagine clandestine recording is a problem, or is that just in US cop shows?
A civil claim would be expensive and time consuming and probably wouldn't get your money back with any efficiency - i.e. 50p a week for 300 years.
What would The General do? The old General would wreak eternal vengeance. The new one would draw a line under it and move on. If the CPS won't go for it, then that money is effectively gone, so there's little point expending energy on it. (Yes, I did just talk about myself as a fictional pseudonym in the third person and dispensed wisdom that this fictional character would never have the faculties to impart).