Elderly woman who was nearly suffocated in bed by intruder thanks unit set up to help victims of crime

A 90-YEAR-OLD woman was traumatised after an intruder broke into her home and tried to suffocate her in bed.

- by ABIGAIL NICHOLSON

The woman, from Devon, who has asked not to be named, was in her bed when she was smothered with a duvet by an intruder who broke into her home in the middle of the night.

She says she believes the intruder “would have killed her” after describing how he was in a “frenzy”.

Fortunately, she was able to free her thumb to activate a personal alarm on her wrist, which caused her attacker to flee.

He was later arrested by police and imprisoned. The terrifying incident took place a few years ago and since then the pensioner has been receiving ongoing support from the Devon & Cornwall Police victim care unit (VCU).

The unit offers ongoing free support and advice to all victims of crime. The pensioner has benefited from being referred to free NHS talking therapy service Talkworks and through the help of the VCU has received compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) after being initially refused, and after her attacker was released from prison his conditions were extended to being excluded from the town where she lives.

The pensioner said: “I’m lucky really because I believe he would have killed me as he was in a frenzy. But I survived and I’m alive. I can still remember it so vividly. I don’t think that will ever go but I can now talk about it thanks to all the support I've received.