Armed robber terrifies pensioner in her home

Sep 27 2008 by Neil Mckay, The Journal

A PENSIONER was recovering yesterday after a “frightening ordeal” in which she was robbed in her home by an armed masked man who called at her door.

Detectives are appealing for witnesses after the robbery, which left the woman “badly shaken”.

The incident happened around 7.45pm on Wednesday night as the 79-year-old was in her terraced home in George Street, which is in Consett town centre. The only other person in the premises at the time was a male friend of similar age. The woman answered a knock at the door to find a man around 5ft 10in and of slim build on her doorstep. He was wearing a black balaclava which covered most of his face and he carried what appeared to be a meat cleaver, with a blade around 7in long.

He pushed past the woman and into the house, bolting the door behind him. He made his way into the kitchen where her friend was standing, who queried if it was a joke. He was told “no, it’s a robbery” and the man brandished the cleaver and demanded money from the victim.

The terrified pensioner handed over £170 from her purse, after which the intruder demanded her gold jewellery. She protested it was only imitation and walked past him into the hallway, where the jewellery was kept, to prove it.

By this time she was shaking and breathing heavily and she told the robber she was only just recovering from a recent heart attack. When he heard this, the man said he had not been aware of that, apologised and left the house through the front door.

The shaken pair then raised the alarm and looked into the streets outside but the intruder had vanished from the scene.

Acting Det Insp Tony Dumighan said: “This was a truly frightening ordeal which has left the victim very badly shaken. She gave a formal statement to us yesterday and you could tell how upset she was by the whole incident. If anyone saw this man on Wednesday evening or has any information, we would ask them to come forward.”

Contact Consett CID on 0345 6060 365 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.