OAP drops dead after25 racing to help partner robbed at knifepoint
Thief gets away with just £30 then shop worker watches as her man collapses
AN elderly man has died after racing to the aid of his terrified partner who had been threatened at knifepoint during a shop robbery moments before.
The 71-year-old, named locally as Tony Ryan, had driven round to help Lynn Gray, 63, a worker in the shop, when he suddenly collapsed.
It is understood that the suspect, who robbed the till at knifepoint, made off with only £30 in cash from Wylie’s Newsagents in Springvale Street, Saltcoats, Ayrshire, as Mr Ryan responded to a distressed phone call from Ms Gray.
Mr Ryan was taken to Crosshouse Hospital, Kilmarnock, but was pronounced dead a short time later.
Ms Gray was uninjured in the incident.
A post-mortem examination to determine Mr Ryan’s cause of death is due to take place and a report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal’s office.
Detective Inspector Fraser Normansell said: ‘This was a very traumatic experience for the 63-year-old shop assistant, who not only suffered the ordeal of the robbery itself but also witnessed the elderly man collapsing in the aftermath of the incident.
‘It is vital that we trace the culprit and stop him from causing any further harm and distress. As such, I urge anyone who was in the vicinity around 15:40 hours on Friday and may have seen the suspect hanging around the area, to contact police at Saltcoats immediately.’ He added: ‘I also appeal to any drivers who were in the area to check their dashcams as they may have captured the suspect on their camera. If so, I ask that they contact police urgently.’
The suspect is described as white, 5ft 8in, with a medium build. He was wearing a blue rain jacket with the hood up, blue jeans and a black scarf covering his face.
Last night, a shocked family friend said: ‘I’ve known him since I was 15 and I’m now 68. He was a true gentleman and a lifelong family friend, as is his partner. They are the best friends I have ever had.
‘We’re all devastated. It’s been such a shock, it’s terrible.’ On Police Scotland’s Ayrshire Division Facebook page yesterday, there was a constant stream of tributes to Mr Ryan, as well as community anger about the robbery and its tragic outcome.
One man, who identified himself as John Lee, called on the community to ‘come together’ and make it clear ‘complete and utter scum like this’ were not part of, or welcome in, the area.
He said: ‘We are overrun by vermin who think they can threaten and take lives to find their own indulgences.
‘Tony was a true gentleman. A gentle, funny, kind man. He will be sadly missed. People who brandish knives on anyone should bear the full brunt of whatever consequences their pathetic, disgusting acts cause.
‘Saltcoats has lost one of its best-loved residents. For 30 quid out a till. I hope the authorities see this for what it is.
‘It is pond-life like this that drags the place and its good residents down.’
‘Tony was a gentle, funny, kind man’