Heartless thieves rob grandma after she fainted in west Hull street
A GRANDMOTHER was robbed of her Christmas present money after she collapsed and lay unconscious on the ground.
Dawn Eratt came round on the road to see paramedics and a crowd gathered around her after feeling faint on the way home from a shopping trip. However, after she was helped inside her house, she discovered her purse containing about £100 in cash and several bank cards was missing from her handbag.
-
Dawn Eratt was robbed in Calvert Road after she fainted on her way home.
Dawn, 55, said: "The money was to spend on Christmas, and now it has gone. I was going to give my grandchildren little wallets of money each, so they could choose their own present, but now I've had to explain to them it won't be happening.
"I would have been able to cope if I had been mugged and someone had hit me to grab my purse.
CAR KEYS AND REMOTES "FREE REMOTE KEY FOB BATTERY" 01482 423414 ...
Peace Of Mind Security Hull Ltd/Hull Car Keys
View details
FOR ALL YOUR CAR KEY NEEDS CALL US NOW ON
01482 423414
SNAPPED KEYS, LOST KEYS, KEYS LOCKED IN VEHICLES,
EXTRA KEYS
WE ALSO REPAIR 90% OF ALL REMOTES AND KEYS, NO FIX NO CHARGE.
Terms: Terms: FREE REMOTE KEY FOB BATTERY ONE PER CUSTOMER
Contact: 01482 423414
Valid until: Friday, May 31 2013
"But to just take it when you can't fight back is truly horrible."
Dawn had been shopping in Hull city centre earlier this week when she decided to take a taxi home.
She asked the driver to take her to her house in Calvert Road but started to feel unwell on the journey home and the driver had to help her out of the car.
Dawn said: "I said 'You're going to have to help me, I feel really light headed'.
"He said he would, so I paid him, but when he gave me the change, my fingers were fumbling and I dropped the coins.
"I then remember picking up my handbag and I was stepping out onto the street. I had one foot out of the car door and the taxi driver was supporting my arm.
"I don't remember anything else, until I came round in the middle of the road."
Dawn says she awoke in the middle of the road with no idea how long she had lain unconscious.
An off-duty paramedic had seen her in the street and called an ambulance, waiting with her until it arrived while a crowd gathered around the woman.
Dawn said: "I'm so grateful the off-duty paramedic stopped to help me.
"He was the one who called for assistance – he was my saviour."
Dawn was taken into the back of the ambulance for a while, and then escorted home by the crew.
Dawn only realised her purse had been stolen when she was back in her home and looked inside her handbag.
Dawn says she is shocked someone could take her purse when she was so vulnerable.
"It isn't the best thing to happen, especially at Christmas – I've just been in shock since it happened," she said.
Humberside Police are investigating the theft and are appealing for help to find the culprit.
Chief Inspector Ed Cook, head of operations in Hull, said: "This has been a distressing experience for the lady involved, who may have been taken advantage of while unwell and vulnerable."
He said they had contacted the taxi firm and were searching CCTV footage from the area although they had yet to identify a suspect or potential witnesses.
"We will continue to offer support to the victim by working with her to monitor any bank account transactions which may reveal further lines of enquiry," said Chief Inspector Cook.
"In the meantime, we appeal to anyone with information about the incident to call us on the non-emergency number 101, quoting crime reference number 1948102."
Comments
by hulltony
Monday, December 24 2012, 6:35AM
“My first question would be what happened to her shopping? Was it also taken while the lady was unconscious? Calvert Road is a busy place during the day and is it possible she dropped her card and cash in the taxi prior to getting out of it?”
by 23041642
Sunday, December 23 2012, 7:16PM
“This is a theft, not a robbery.
Robbery is theft from a person with an element of violence or threat of. It is a different offence which carries a much harsher penalty.
Whilst this is only a small point, it is typical of the HDM to sensasionalise someone's misfortune and make factual inaccuracies.”
by albaz
Sunday, December 23 2012, 12:52PM
“Demonica666; Are we so cynical..... Yes and no wonder this happens every Christmas.
I'm not saying this is the case here but much of this story is not straightforward if it has been reported accurately.These stories usually involve single mothers on benefits and as suggested by some on here gifts and money is sent to the "victims"
To emphasize this ,in my Sunday paper is a two page spread about an unemployed single mother of five from Liverpool who has just had £335 pounds stolen that she "stashed" from benefits to buy presents. She claimed this meant she had no money for food for Christmas so had to rely on a food bank. Well was the money "stashed"for food or presents?
None of these stories ever seem to be straightforward,hence the cynicism.
Has the Taxi driver given an explanation as to why he drove off from a passenger obviously unwell, as reported?”
by ArthurHunt
Sunday, December 23 2012, 10:44AM
“Assuming we have been given all the facts then this story is typical of today's society. In the 1960s a bloke was sentenced to a year in jail for stealing a bike, (found a very old Hull Daily Mail clipping from our parents) and that's how it should be. There is no element of fear any more, crime has become one big joke or academic exercise. Schools have become infested with idiot political correctness (can't use red ink to mark children';s work - what utter cr*p), so a generation or two has been brought up to know they can do what they like without any sense of social responsibility or any fear of retribution.
Decent standards of behaviour (dare I even mention Christian values) have been sneered at and undermined by pop stars, the trendy liberal teachers and lecturers with their Mickey Mouse degrees in 'Feck All'...
The police used to be looked up to as people you could trust, the judges were fair but firm, now it's all 'Human Rights'. no disciple no punishment and everyone will grab as much money as they can from everyone else....
When I go for a walk now I remove all credit cards and driving licence from my wallet and have a couple of quid maximum, if anything happens to me the villains will get nowt... not worth the risk any more......
Thank you very much - education system and the political elite... you have destroyed our country.”
by Dark999knight
Saturday, December 22 2012, 11:11PM
“scum”
by paulthe
Saturday, December 22 2012, 10:34PM
“Can't really afford it but... I do have some presents meant for my child and some for my nephew and nieces that I could donate to her grandchildren, should this story turn out to be true. Call me a cynist, because I am.”
by Spain2010
Saturday, December 22 2012, 9:39PM
“Not sure I buy this story? I lived in the area for several years, something is not right here?”
by Solly_Atwell
Saturday, December 22 2012, 6:17PM
“by meolemuker
Saturday, December 22 2012, 11:59PM
"typical hull scum bags born and bread criminals in the blood"
That's why someone nicked her dough then !”
by Demonica666
Saturday, December 22 2012, 5:57PM
“Have we really become so cynical that we are questioning;
1. whether the crime was actually committed,
2. whether the lady could afford to be robbed - seeing as she could afford a taxi (!) and
3. whether the stolen money was REALLY for grandchildren etc?
This poor lady is now £100 worse off. That's £100 less for Christmas. She was left (perhaps robbed) whilst in a vulnerable state by a 'taxi driver'. Thank goodness the off-duty paramedic was there. Rather than the glut of (frankly disturbing) conspiracy theories on here, how about we say 'well done Sir'! to the Paramedic and wish all concerned a happy and peaceful festive season?”
by John_Daniels
Saturday, December 22 2012, 5:34PM
“All this CCTV! Great deterrent eh? What were the watchers doing, eating doughnuts perhaps. Seems to me that Civic 1 is about as much use as a chocolate fire guard.”