Traum a of burglary attack on husband Jim m y (94) starts to ‘hit hom e’ for Maura
THE wife of an elderly man assaulted during a burglary at their Tipperary home is still feeling the traumatic after-effects of the attack that left her husband hospitalised.
Jimmy Campion (94) is understood to be recovering well following Sunday night’s attack which saw thugs break his walking stick over his head at his house on the Old Dublin Road in Roscrea.
However, the incident has “hit home” with wife Maura (87), who had to call emergency services after witnessing burglars ransack her house following the attack on her husband.
A family member said Mrs Campion is “not doing well” and is currently staying with her daughter in the town since the incident.
No arrests have been made as of yet – and gardaí have visited the homes of neighbours for information over the past 48 hours.
Pensioners in the area are now being advised to get bracelet alarms as a deterrent for burglars.
Meeting
More than 20 elderly women gathered for an Active Retirement network meeting in the town yesterday afternoon – with news of the assault top of the agenda.
Many of those who attended said they were frightened by the attack and are calling on more gardaí to be deployed to give a safer presence in the area.
One neighbour of the Campion’s said she was visited by gardaí on Monday evening, but didn’t even recognise them, highlighting the lack of a regular presence of officers in the town.
Chair of the meeting Margaret Doyle told all members to get one of the alarm bracelets or necklaces.
Treasurer Nancy Carey (77) already uses one.
“It would worry me (the nature of the burglary),” Ms Carey said.
“I have a panic button inside the door and I have a chain on the door so if I don’t like who’s there, I press the panic button.
“I have a bracelet with a red button on it – if you’re not feeling well or if you see something that’s not right, you press the panic button,” she added.
Also at the meeting was Sarah Landy (77), who knows the Campion family well.
She said that the psychological effects of the incident will be difficult to overcome for Jimmy and Maura.
“That’ll take an awful lot out of them,” she said.
“When they were raided before they were in Mass, and then one used to go to the 10am Mass and the other to the 12pm one,” she added.
Terry Cosgrave (88) said that while the attack was tough to take, she has to find a way to prevent it from affecting her day-to-day life.
“When you get to our age there are brats going around and that’s all they are – brats,” Ms Cosgrave said.
“There’s nothing we can do about it, but if we had more guards, that’s what we’re missing.
“Often I’ve come home late, from a bridge session or something and I’m walking home fine, but the very next night, I might be half afraid,” she said.
Investigations are ongoing into the burglary at the small terraced bungalow on the Old Dublin Road of the Co Tipperary town.
Two men broke in through a side window at around 11.45pm on Sunday night, attacking Mr Campion and delivering blows to his head.
“His walking stick was broken in two on the kitchen floor, we think they may have hit him with it,” the victim’s son-in-law told the Irish Independent.