Questions after attack in sheltered housing
SHELTERED housing chiefs are facing questions over resident safety after a deaf couple were savagely attacked in their own home.
The victims, named locally as James and Cathy Oliver, were last night recovering in hospital from the unprovoked beating, which appeared to have no clear motive.
Brave Cathy, 80, suffered a broken hip and underwent surgery on Friday afternoon while James, 82, suffered cuts to his head and hand.
Both are profoundly deaf and police say neither would have been able to communicate during their ordeal.
The attack took place at 10.50pm on Thursday night at a sheltered housing complex run by Glasgow’s Trust Team GB, saw thousands of sports clubs open their doors to the public.
In Glasgow, youngsters got to try out gymnastics at the newly developed Kelvin Hall sports facility.
Simon Morris, right, even took his two-year-old son Rudy along to have a go.
Meanwhile, around 2700 competitors took part in the annual Great Scottish Swim at Loch Lomond.
Olympic swimmer Robbie Renwick, below, was among those taking part. Housing Association in the Calton area of the city.
Last night there were concerns about how the callous thug was able to get access to their home, seemingly protected by a secure door entry system.
The attacker is believed to have followed them home from a nearby chip shop.
Neighbours in the complex have spoken of their shock – and claimed that spending cuts meant there was no longer a night watchman on the premises in the evening.
A Sunday Post reporter was also able to freely gain access to the property yesterday without any security checks being done.
A distraught neighbour and friend for 25 years, who did not want to be named, said she had visited the injured couple at Glasgow’s Royal Infirmary.
She said: “It’s pretty terrifying. We just don’t feel secure now and I’m very upset.
“They looked absolutely terrible when I saw them earlier at the hospital.
“We need more security in there. We used to have a warden sleep over from 10pm until the morning.
“Now we have to depend on a pull cord and the two people this man attacked were unable to hear him as he entered the building behind them.
“I heard the voice when they came in and it didn’t sound right. A couple who live across from them came out when they heard a bang.
“The man attacked James, who fell on the floor, and then punched wee Cathy in the eye. It’s totally disgusting.”
After attacking the pair, the man ran away empty-handed.
The man being sought by police is said to be slim, white, in his late 30s, with dark receding hair and about 6ft tall.
He was wearing a black jacket, blue jeans and glasses when he ran down a nearby street.
Bosses at the Trust Housing Association said it had been a “distressing” incident.
Gail Gourlay, the service manager, said: “We have put in additional safety measures since this attack to make sure the residents are safe.”
The shocking attack comes less than two months after a 76-year-old man was stabbed to death in the same area.