The devil who preyed on Annie

Annie went to the shops. She’s 20 and, when she’s not in college, she enjoys being a self-sufficient young woman out and about, buying lipstick and nail polish and maybe treating herself to lunch.

She’s a thoughtful daughter too. When she arrives at her destination, she always sends her mum a smiley face emoji to let her know everything is fine.

Anyway, on this particular day a chap started chatting to Annie, telling her a hard-luck story, then asking if she could help him with a bit of money.

Annie has the biggest of hearts and so she gave him what was in her purse – not very much, as it happens.

That’s not enough, he told her. I need more. He even shed a tear, and Annie felt his pain, so she went with him to her bank and drew the maximum she could. Mercifully, that threshold is set low.

Perhaps now I should explain that Annie has Down’s syndrome. She can read and write and make her own decisions, and she has charge of her own bank account, filled with her lifetime savings. If you meet her you’ll only ever feel better about the world.

I befriended Annie’s mother because my little sister has Down’s syndrome, and so does my nephew. These stories cut close…

But that was not the end of it. The man said he wanted to thank her by buying her a brand new iPhone 8. He took her to the phone shop and together they joyfully purchased the device – using her card. He’d keep the phone safe, he said, and bring it to her house that evening. Still he was not done. Next they went to a jewellery store where he attempted to buy a Rolex. However, payment was declined. I suppose it’s fortunate that he’d already cleared her out.

Yes, the police caught him; yes, he’s on trial. However, lawyers say he will only get a rap over the knuckles because Annie went with him willingly; she was never forced or coerced.

He grins when he sees them, Annie’s mother tells me: he knows he’s going to walk.

Meanwhile Annie can’t go out by herself any more. He stole her independence too.

I’d say 99.9% of folk are kind, but the tragedy is that the vulnerable people, the Annies of the world, are forced to live a life dictated by the contemptible 0.1%.

But then, ultimately, aren’t we all?