ROBBED OF HIS LIFE
Heartbroken family of great-grandad and former Black Watch hero Arthur (88) say stress from double break-in at his home took such a toll it led to his untimely death
The family of a Perth pensioner said he was so traumatised by two break-ins at his home that he died a short time later.
Former soldier Arthur Hughes (88), who lived alone in a flat on the city’s High Street, was broken into twice in August. He was so upset that the previously independent pensioner moved into sheltered housing in January but died on March 27.
Speaking exclusively to the Perthshire Advertiser, two family members who wished not to be named explained that the active great-grandad’s physical and mental condition visibly deteriorated after the break-in.
They said: “Arthur was incredible for 88 years old. He was totally independent and had his own routine every day.
“He would get up in the morning, go to the shops, do the housework and go and meet his friends at the exservicemen’s club. He loved being out in his garden too.
“He was really happy and he would even come over and help us with things like ironing, which he was great at, being ex-
army. He was a real socialite and everybody liked him.
“He enjoyed a good quality of life.”
Arthur’s life changed when Polish national Patryk Moszczynski broke into his home on August 9 last year and stole a wallet and souvenir coins.
Twenty-one-year-old Moszczynski, of Rannoch Road, Perth, admitted the crime at Perth Sheriff Court this week.
He had a not guilty plea accepted for a charge of breaking into Arthur’s house less than a week later with intent to steal.
The family members said: “The deterioration after the break-ins was terrible. He stopped sleeping and his physical ailments escalated. He just aged unbelievably quickly.
“Over the seven months afterwards he stopped going out and his physical and mental condition deteriorated so much that you could see it.
“He was deaf and he became so anxious that he began wearing his hearing aid to bed, which ended up causing him an ear injury.
“He became stressed all the time, he suffered a loss of appetite and a huge loss of weight and it began affecting his concentration and shortterm memory.”
Arthur, who served in the Black Watch, was forced to move into sheltered housing in January.
His relatives said: “His anxiety had been continual and he had resorted to barricading his door.
“He felt vulnerable but he was a man who could handle himself. If it had been 20 years before I’d have feared for the intruder.
“He had been in sheltered housing for about seven or eight weeks but it had taken six weeks for him to settle in and feel safe.
“If it hadn’t been for what happened he would have been around for a lot longer.
“There were coins from Italy and a ring that belonged to his late wife all stolen things with sentimental value.
“He was in his own home. What more can you do to protect yourself? I think the maximum sentence should be handed out here.”
Moszczynski, who also pled guilty to stealing perfume, jewellery and a wireless speaker from a house in Victoria Street, Perth, on December 28, will be sentenced on May 9.