Fallen pensioner robbed
An elderly man who fell in a public toilet and shouted for help had his phone stolen as he was lying on the concrete floor.
Gordon Proctor fell in the toilets on Shaw Ave in New Brighton, Christchurch on Saturday, and called for help when a man believed to be in his early 20s walked in.
Instead of helping the 92-year-old, he stole Proctor’s phone, which had fallen out of his pocket.
Bindi Donaldson also heard Proctor’s calls for help and began walking towards the toilets when the young man yelled out as he left: “A man has fallen”.
“I said to [the man] ‘Go into the pharmacy and get them to call an ambulance’. The young man didn’t return to the toilets, but I went into the pharmacy to ensure he had made them ring,” she said.
A police spokesman said the theft is being investigated.
“Police take every crime reported very seriously and we acknowledge that events like this can be unsettling for the victims . . . while inquiries are ongoing we are often not in a position to go into details as it may hamper the investigation.”
However, the offender may have been caught on CCTV cameras near the toilets.
Proctor received only a scratch on his hand, but is still recovering from the shock of the fall.
“When I let go of the wall, I thought ‘Is this the last of it? If I fall and bang my head on the concrete floor, I am likely to be knocked cold.’
“But I fell right down on my back and didn’t bang my head . . . but I was lying on the cold concrete floor shivering,” said Proctor.
St John ambulance spokesman Gerard Campbell said staff treated the man and took him back to his residence following a callout at 2.20pm on Saturday.
Donaldson, who lives in New Brighton, said she thought the thief who took the phone was aged between 18 and 25.