Intruder was confident about barging into 102-year-old veteran's house—but minutes later, he was running for his life
It is always smart to never underestimate any person. An intruder learned this lesson after he tried to force his way into a 102-year-old veteran's house, thinking that the old man would not be able to fight back. He came in under the pretense of checking the lights. The man, John, suffered severe cuts and bruises as he tried to stop the intruder from entering his house in Lincoln, but he was able to scare the person away, per BBC.
The intruder stated a purpose before trying to enter the house. "I thought that sounds a bit dodgy," John commented. The person had simply told him that he had come in to check the lights and the veteran knew that there was more to it immediately. However, by the time the man told him why he was there, John had already opened the door. "By that time he had pushed the door wide open and stepped in and I said, 'You're not going to come in here, mate.'" He immediately fought the man as he tried to force his way inside the house once John stopped him. "He gave me a few clouts. I was hoping to give him a few back and he ran away. He must have been frightened," John went on.
John lived at the house with his 97-year-old wife, Joan, when the incident happened back in 2020. It was the second attack on the couple's house within six months and they were really shaken after the incident. The first time, someone had entered the house under the guise of being a gas engineer. The couple had let him inside their house and he stole a handbag and purse containing cash from the property. However, the second time, John was determined not to let the thief get the best of them. John and Joan wanted to share the incident with the public in hopes that people would be more careful while answering their door to strangers.
"We are used to going to the door and opening it, but you can't now," Joan remarked. John's arm was left in a pretty bad condition after the altercation. "The man damaged my dad's arm really badly. There was blood all over. My dad was really shook up and it's upset my mum. This is the second time it has happened in six months," the couple's daughter, Jill, expressed. But she was pretty proud of her dad for putting up a fight against the intruder. "Give him his due, for his age, he did have a go back." The Lincolnshire Police had started investigating the attack at that time and also one that happened to a woman in her 90s in a nearby location.
The nature of the attacks and the common factors between the victims in both cases raised major concerns at the city's police department. "These two incidents are clearly concerning because they involve elderly and vulnerable victims," Chief Inspector Phil Baker pointed out. "In both incidents, the offender has used force to push past the occupants and in one case, stolen cash." The officer encouraged people to share any information they had with the police. Such crimes can cause significant psychological distress among elderly victims, according to a study. People might face symptoms of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder after such events.