Lollipop lady attacked by thug who’d drunk 12 bottles of beer says: I don’t want compensation
A LOLLIPOP lady who was throttled in the street by a violent drunk has selflessly turned down compensation because she doesn’t want to be seen as ‘a money-grabber’.
Kathleen Buckley, 64, had just finished helping schoolchildren across the road when she was pounced on by a man who had downed 12 bottles of beer bought with his benefits money.
Mrs Buckley, a lollipop lady for eight years, was knocked to the ground and grabbed in a stranglehold by jobless David Vale, 45.
The retired mother-of-two bravely tried to fight him off until motorists stopped and rescued her.
Vale was facing jail last night after admitting assault at Burnley Magistrates Court – but despite her terrifying ordeal, Mrs Buckley has waived her right to compensation.
Mrs Buckley, of Whitworth, Rochdale, said she didn’t want to be associated with claimants who exaggerate injuries to receive payouts from the public purse.
She said: ‘I don’t agree with it at all, ambulance chasing and all that. Why would I want compensation from the courts for something like that? It’s just ridiculous to put in a claim.
‘There’s too much of it about. So when I had court papers put in front of me asking whether I wanted to claim compensation I put a cross and said “No”.
‘The people that make money out of these cases are the solicitors, and I may have been a victim but I don’t think it is right for me to be paid for what happened.’
Magistrates could order Vale to pay her compensation for any injuries or distress, but it would be limited to what he could afford.
The amount could also depend on his sentence, and courts do not usually order an offender to pay compensation if they are jailed. Under present guidelines Mrs Buckley could receive a payout of up to £250. She could also claim damages from the Criminal Injuries Compensation scheme, in which a board decides whether to grant an award depending on the severity of any injuries or trauma.
However, she has decided to decline both options.
Mrs Buckley, who lives with her partner George Judson, 65, a retired mental-health support worker, is due to resume her crossing patrol when the schools go back tomorrow.
She said: ‘ This man clearly has a drink problem and I want him to get help so he doesn’t do this again.
‘If the money I would receive could be spent on making sure he received that help then I would be happy. I’m not worried about going back. This was clearly a one-off.’
The incident occurred on June 9 while Mrs Buckley was carrying her lollipop and wearing her high visibility uniform, having just finished helping children across the road.
She began to walk away from the secondary school where she was on patrol when she heard Vale approach from behind and was attacked.
Outside court, she said: ‘I started shouting, “Get off me”. That didn’t have any effect – he just tight- ened his grip around my neck. He realised I couldn’t get out of it. He was like a bear. I was really worried.
‘I’d never seen him before, it was just very bizarre. I didn’t even see him – it was from behind. I couldn’t put up a fight back because his arms were around me that tight it was like having a straitjacket on.
‘My other half was in the house when I was outside with him attacking me. He didn’t know anything was going on while he was reading his book. When I got in and he found out he went rushing out to see if he could find him but thankfully he didn’t.’
John Beggs, prosecuting, said: ‘She was accosted by somebody who leapt on to her, got his arms around her throat and she collapsed to the ground and was then grappling with this person and trying to get him off.
‘She was shocked and quite distressed for a few days.’
But he added: ‘She didn’t want to seek compensation, believing it would be seen as money-grabbing rather than anything else, which was rather unusual and I had to try and explain to her that wasn’t the case.’
Vale, of Rochdale, told police he had bought 24 bottles of Budweiser and had consumed around half of them.
Despite several previous convictions, including assault, Vale claimed he ‘couldn’t hurt a flea’, his lawyer Joanne Haselden said.
She added: ‘He cannot give any explanation other than the fact he was extremely intoxicated. He is ashamed – he is deeply remorseful.’
Vale was bailed for sentencing. Magistrates said that because his case was unprovoked and aggravated by alcohol he could face jail.
‘It’s ridiculous to put in a claim’