Attacked 83 year-old Gospel Oak war veteran ‘lucky to be with us’

Published: 31st March, 2011
by JAMIE WELHAM

AN INTRUDER threatened a pensioner with a saw before smashing apart an urn containing the cremated ashes of his dead wife.

The 83-year-old war veteran was knocked to the ground and beaten by the burglar at his Gospel Oak flat on Saturday afternoon. The attacker fled with pension money and items of irreplaceable antique jewellery passed down from the pensioner’s mother.

It is understood the man was wearing a luminous vest and posed as a construction worker to gain access to the block.

The victim’s daughter said the ordeal had left her father “scarred”. Since the burglary he has not been able to sleep at the flat on Maitland Park estate, where he has lived for 40 years. She said her father was lucky to be alive after sustaining severe bruising in an attack that saw him rushed to hospital for treatment.

“He grabbed my dad and savagely threw him around like a rag doll,” she said. “He was rushed to hospital and we feel lucky he is still with us today. This is the mindless action of a lowlife who has preyed on the vulnerability of an 83-year-old, eight-stone, frail old man, who had no hope of putting up any resistance.”

His daughter appealed for anyone with any information about the attacker to contact the police.

She added: “I have wanted my father to leave the area for many years but he resisted, despite becoming a widower seven years ago, because he felt it was his home and where he wanted to spend his life.

“For over 80 years he has lived within 300 yards of his current home. Now he has fear in his eyes, put there by a monster who has no morals. The home is devastated, his memories and possessions ruined. He has been injured physically but worse mentally. The scars are extensive and he will no longer be the proud and independent man we all know.”

A police spokesman said: “We are investigating an allegation of aggravated burglary which occurred on Saturday March 26 at approximately 2.25pm at an address in Maitland Park Villas, NW3. An 83-year-old male victim was assaulted and threatened with a weapon before having property stolen from him.” Anyone with information is asked to call Camden Police on 020 7404 1212 or Crime­mestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.