Telford Attempted Robbery Victim Tells Of ‘Terrifying’ Attack
Alison JenningsA Telford woman who was pulled from her mobility scooter in an attempted robbery today spoke of her ‘terror' as she was thrown to the ground and punched and kicked.
Alison Jennings, 43, who suffers from Parkinson's disease and arthritis in her spine and hip, was attacked as she went to feed the ducks in woodland off Oakfield Road, Shawbirch on Wednesday 18 July 2012.
The offender, a white man in his 30s or 40s, walked up to her at about 2.45pm and demanded money, becoming aggressive and attacking her when she told him she did not have any.
Speaking of her ordeal for the first time, Mrs Jennings remains extremely shaken and said she had not been able to sleep since the attack. She is now too frightened to go out alone.
She said she had ‘feared the worst about what he would do to her' and had tried to get her mobile phone, but it had fallen out of her pocket when she hit the ground.
"He grabbed hold of my jacket, yanking me out of the scooter and threw me to the floor in the nettles. I landed on my back and hit my head on a log. Because of my illness, I can't get up on my own if I'm lying on my back," she said.
"He then asked again for money and started kicking me in my hip, which he could see I was holding and must have hurt. I then felt some sharp pains in my leg but couldn't see what caused them.
"When he saw me trying to go in my pocket for my phone, he grabbed me around the neck with one hand and searched my pockets himself but lost interest when all he found was a compact mirror.
"He kicked and punched me more and then something must have spooked him, as he suddenly disappeared.
"I managed to get my phone and dial 999 and then another man appeared and asked if I was alright. The next thing I remember is the police and ambulance arriving."
Mrs Jennings suffered cuts and bruises in the attack, along with three small puncture wounds to her leg caused by an unknown object.
"It was absolutely terrifying. I just cried all the way through it, I was really sobbing and thought the worst about what he was going to do to me," she added.
"Since then I can't stop crying. I keep waking up in the night, reliving it in my head.
"I always felt safe before but I won't go out on my own now. Before I would go to the shops near our house on my own but I don't even feel safe enough to do that."
Mr Jennings' husband, Dave Jennings, said his wife was a ‘strong person' but the whole family had been affected by the attack.
"I heard her crying the other night at about 3am and tried to wake her up but she flung her arms out to get me away so was obviously reliving it," he said.
"None of us have slept much since it happened."
Detective Sergeant Matt Gibbons, who is leading the investigating into the attempted robbery, renewed an appeal for anyone with information that could help police catch the offender to get in touch on 101.
"This man attacked a vulnerable woman who has been left so shaken that she has lost the confidence to venture out alone again and he needs to be caught," he said.
"If anyone knows who he is or saw anybody matching that description in the Shawbirch area that day, please contact police on 101.
"If this man is somebody you know but you are worried about repercussions in calling the police, please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, where the operator will not even ask for your name."
The offender was white, in his 30s or 40s and of chunky build, with short, dark shaved hair. He had freckles and stubble and was wearing a black Nike hooded top with the white ‘tick' on the front, dark jeans and dark shoes.
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