Defenceless 90-year-old widow beaten in her home
Family ‘sickened’ as Iris Warner was left in critical condition after a suspected burglary last weekend
A 90-YEAR-OLD widow is fighting for her life after being brutally attacked in her own home, as pressure mounted on police leaders to get a grip on the current crime epidemic.
Iris Warner was discovered slipping in and out of consciousness by her son Jeffrey, 60, and sister Lesley, 71, following a suspected burglary at her home in north-west London.
The great-grandmother, who was still recovering after being burgled in November, was woken up by a man in her bedroom who began repeatedly hitting her in the face with a blunt instrument.
The retired bank clerk, who is described as being very active for her age, was left with horrific facial injuries and bruising to the rest of her body following the attack.
Det Insp Saj Hussain, from Brent CID, said: “It is one of the worst offences I have seen as a police officer in 17 years. It involved more than one hit and it was clear from the scene that blood was all around the house, it looks like a bloodbath”. It is the latest in a series of crimes that have led to questions over whether police are coping with a surge in violence and robbery.
Earlier this week, 100-year-old Zofija Kaczan died days after her neck was broken when she was mugged while walking to church.
Mrs Kaczan, who moved to Britain from Poland after the Second World War, suffered multiple injuries in the “absolutely horrific” attack in Derby on May 28 and died early on Wednesday.
There are currently around 60 moped enabled robberies taking place across London every day, and last week the comedian Michael Mcintyre had his watch stolen by armed raiders while he was waiting to pick up his son from school.
Ms Warner has lived in the Kingsbury in Brent for decades, having been evacuated from London during the Second World War.
She married her late husband, Arthur, a railway worker, just after the war and they have two sons, Jeffrey and Alec. Friends and neighbours de- scribed how she enjoyed reading crime novels, doing crosswords and would visit the local newsagent every day.
She also travelled to the shops by bus every week and was fiercely independent. A 71-year-old neighbour and friend said: “She’s a strong woman because she walks to the post office and she walks to get her paper.”
Another said she had been left “shaken” after a burglary at her home last November, but added: “She is strong and got over it.”
Her son described how the whole family had been left “stunned and sickened” by the attack and appealed for help to catch the person responsible.
Mr Warner said: “We are shocked and appalled at the violence used against our mother Iris, better known as Anne to her friends and family – a defenceless 90-year-old-woman.” The attack is believed to have happened between Saturday June 2 and the afternoon of Monday June 4.
A man was last night charged with manslaughter and robbery over the death of Mrs Kaczan. Arthur Waszkiewicz, 39, from will appear before South Derbyshire magistrates’ court today.