Joy Middleditch: Woman dies after being violently robbed and left to die by two teenage masked intruders
SUFFOLK, ENGLAND: Two teenage boys aged 14 and 15 have been arrested on suspicion of murder after an elderly woman was violently robbed and left injured in her own home in Pakefield, Suffolk. Joy Middleditch, 82, was pushed to the ground and left lying there by two masked men who forced their way into her bungalow last Friday night.
Her handbag was stolen and she was found the following day by family members, who called the police. Middleditch was taken to the hospital, but unfortunately, she died on Monday due to her injuries.
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The woman had been found lying on the floor following a robbery
The police launched an investigation and arrested two teenage boys on suspicion of murder on Friday, as reported by Daily Mail. A post-mortem examination was carried out on Monday, but the cause of death is yet to be confirmed. "Officers were called just after 1.50 pm on Saturday, March 25, to reports that an elderly woman had been found lying on the floor in her home in Grayson Avenue following a robbery," Suffolk Police said. The incident, police believe, occurred between Friday and early Saturday morning on March 25.
"The victim was found conscious but in a serious condition and was taken to James Paget Hospital for treatment. Sadly, the woman died at the hospital in the early hours of Monday, March 27." The 15-year-old boy and a 14-year-old boy, both from the Lowestoft area, were arrested on suspicion of murder and taken to Martlesham Police Investigation Centre for questioning as per Suffolk Police news release.
'Joy was a strong, determined character who loved life and her dog'
"Joy was a strong, determined character who loved life and her dog," the family said in a statement that the outlet reported. Middleditch was a twice-widowed cancer survivor. She was described by her family as a loving person who was sadly taken from them too soon.
She wasn't wealthy and wouldn't have had much money
Her great-niece, Rebekka Arnold, issued a plea on Facebook for the public's help in tracking down the killers. Arnold's mother, Mandy Leadbitter, said that her aunt wasn't wealthy and wouldn't have had much money, adding that the burglars probably just took basic things like her purse, which probably only had her pension money.
The attack on Middleditch comes after another vulnerable pensioner, Beryl Purdy, 86, died on Monday following a break-in by a patient who had escaped from a mental health facility. Her attacker had already left the scene on foot but was tracked by a police helicopter and a dog unit, and arrested three hours later in nearby woodland. He has since been sectioned and transferred to a secure mental health unit after doctors ruled he was unfit to be interviewed about the grandmother's death.
The deaths of these two elderly women have shocked their communities and highlighted the vulnerability of older people who live alone. The police are urging anyone with information about either case to come forward and help bring the perpetrators to justice.