Cowardly and evil is the only way i see this act,
But the law will only give a daft fine or something ,
They never protect or defend innocent and vulnerable people especially the older generations,
Which is ludicrous and needs changing .

So where's the description of these scum then?

First of all I hope the lady is feeling a bit better. Secondly these sick evil scum will get caught and punished. What type of person would do this? If anyone knows anything dont cover up for them, go to the police or someone else.

My sympathy goes out to the victim of this dispicable crime. Only 1 word can describe those who committed this act - SCUM.
The worst thing is that, even if caught & convicted, the guilty parties will get a "community sentence" or some other ineffective sanction.
I ech Dave & just hope someone who knows who did this has the moral courage to tell the authorities.
We must not allow a community to be created where people are afraid to walk the streets.

Dave wrote:
So where's the description of these scum then?

According to the Essex Police website:

http://www.essex.pol
ice.uk/news/n_cont.p
hp?articleId=3721

"The suspect is described as of a slim build, with dark hair and was believed to be wearing a stripey top"
Not much to go on there unfortunately.

Letes just hope they catch the SCUMBAGS quickly.

This is vile and degrading and I sincerely hope this poor lady makes a full recovery. Unfortunately if she does, it will only be a physical one, I fear.

However, I'm afraid it all comes back to this softsoap scumsucking government that have created the kind of economic and moral climate where old people are either invisible or just there to be abused by all and sundry - the system being one of the worst offenders.

The biggest muggers are of course,this government.

If you are elderly and need care, you are means tested and if you have had the temerity to get to your pension age with assets of more than £20,500, you will be made to sell the house you have worked all your life for, to pay for your care.

Never mind that you've paid your national insurance and taxes all your life. Oh no. NuLabour are ready to pounce annd squeeze every last bit of savings and assets you have.

However, if you are a pensioner in Scotland, it's all free. Paid for from English taxes - which have been contributed to by, yes, English pensioners during their working lives.

And don't be stupid enough to think that the law will protect you from the hideous vermin that stalks the streets. Oh no, you only have to a) not be able to pay your council tax or b) put your hand on some yob's shoulder and ask him to leave your property - and you're on a fast track to jail. Because of course, investing resources in pursuing REAL scum is just too difficult and fraught with human rights issues.

My foreign colleagues inform me that in their countries, the elderly are respected and even revered. They are genuinely shocked that we even need to have care homes, let alone anything else.

Not here they're not, they're treated like second class citizens, despite the fact that they saved everybody''s butt from the tyranny of a German lunatic and his cohorts.

Only to be governed and beset by dictators, thieves, muggers, yobs and confidence tricksters at a time of their life when they're most vulnerable.

Once again, I hope the laws of karma catch up with the yobs who did this, sometime very soon.

Gandy again. Is there any story on this site the wanna-be politician won't latch on to? You don't fool us: you're no better than the ones in power.

Anyway back to the actual point of this story: I wish Ms. Banfield a speedy recovery and hope the police can manage something here.

I hope lady concerned is getting over this?

I also hope scumbags concerned are caught and locked up for a long time.

my 3rd and final wish is that Kim Gandy's computer is infected with a virus that prevents her posting the normal range of hate filled drivel that normally spills forth from it.

Scotland gave us North Sea Oil kim, until you gibve it back you can't really comment can you? Also the West Lothian question was a subject of debate in 1997 election ,thats 11 years ago!

I hope lady concerned is getting over this?

I also hope scumbags concerned are caught and locked up for a long time.

my 3rd and final wish is that Kim Gandy's computer is infected with a virus that prevents her posting the normal range of hate filled drivel that normally spills forth from it.

Scotland gave us North Sea Oil kim, until you gibve it back you can't really comment can you? Also the West Lothian question was a subject of debate in 1997 election ,thats 11 years ago!

PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT TELL ME AGAIN THAT I CANNOT BLAME THE GOVERNMENT!!!

Because I do!! they have turned our enlightened society into the most pathetic lenient country in the western world.

There are No Deterrents

Sentences halved on conviction

Early release because prisons are full.

Crime falling because people are giving up on the Criminal Justice System and either not reporting crime due to a lack of confidence OR Fear of being intimidated at court by thugs!!

These are but a few reasons why we are letting our most vulnerable folk down.

And what makes me sick is the Tories will be frightened to do anything when they are in power!!

OK evilc.I believe the government is appeasing the do gooders and fast buck lawyers. I further believe the Tory government were the real cause in teaching people the wonders of greed and creating the Can't Prosecute Service!

However, rather than lamely carping on about Brown's mob, who, I am sure, will be seen off by Murdoch at the next election, Give us all an insight as to how we should deal with these animals!

devil\'s Advocate wrote:
OK evilc.I believe the government is appeasing the do gooders and fast buck lawyers. I further believe the Tory government were the real cause in teaching people the wonders of greed and creating the Can\'t Prosecute Service! However, rather than lamely carping on about Brown\'s mob, who, I am sure, will be seen off by Murdoch at the next election, Give us all an insight as to how we should deal with these animals!

Easy mate 'LOCK EM UP'

Read an article prepared by experts on
'Prison does work'

It works in two way:

1. It removes the
s--t from causing more agony BUT IT MUST BE YEARS!

2. Long prison sentences act as a deterrent to the 'would be violent thieves'

But we need to ensure that prison is a place you do not want to be, and not a place that we read about today that it is a luxury and they do not want to escape from.

I do not give a toss about prisoners rights and when we read that they have successfully sued and won damages for making addicts go 'Cold Turkey' I am breathless.

And I know many villains and most agree with me!!

What has almost destroyed OUR SOCIETY is the Liberal elite be it from any political party!!

The greatest threat to this country is not terrorism as keeps being rammed down our throats but CRIME!!

Terrorism as a subject is a convenient talking point to give justification to making war in Iraq.

The IRA was a greater threat than Islam 15 yrs ago we had bombs going off every week but that has all been forgotten, and we did not make war with Ireland.

We now keep hearing about the Islamic threat which is in real terms is a problem created by a few religious nutters like we also have in the USA in the Christian world, the only difference is the Islamic nutters look for bigger targets!! and like the IRA is very hard to prevent.

IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO SAY WHAT MORE CAN WE DO TO SOLVE VIOLENT CRIME !!

Until we do know 'Lock Em Up'
until they are to old to commit violent crime and a term in side must mean doing the full term NOT HALVED then let out because of prison overcrowding.

Build more prisons we pay most crims benefits when they are out so put them all in horrible dumps in remote ares it will be cheaper and a deterrent to others.

WE CANNOT DO NOTHING FOR MUCH LONGER!!when villains have no fear of the Law we have lost!! and guess who is the first to suffer yes the most vulnerable WE MUST PROTECT THEM NOW!!

Clearly Oswald Mosley isn't dead after all.

I am beginning to wonder if Clive and Kim are the same person.

What "softsoap scumsucking" is supposed to mean I dread to think. I'm still trying to work out how "brain vomit" is medically possible without some extraordinarily experimental surgery.

I do hope the lady will make a full recovery and the scum that done this to her are soon locked up, I wonder how they would feel if it was their mum or nan that it had happened to.

Tony Winchester wrote:
Cowardly and evil is the only way i see this act, But the law will only give a daft fine or something , They never protect or defend innocent and vulnerable people especially the older generations, Which is ludicrous and needs changing .

your right tony the courts are a joke

It always amazes me that everytime Kim Gandy airs her views she comes under such vicious and rude attacks. She is just as entitled as everybody else to pass comments and about the only person who talks any sense. Why do people think that they have to personally attack her and say such awful things they should be ashamed of themselves.
Keep up the good work Kim, at least you keep to the facts and have most genuine peoples interests at heart.

dd wrote:
It always amazes me that everytime Kim Gandy airs her views she comes under such vicious and rude attacks. She is just as entitled as everybody else to pass comments and about the only person who talks any sense. Why do people think that they have to personally attack her and say such awful things they should be ashamed of themselves. Keep up the good work Kim, at least you keep to the facts and have most genuine peoples interests at heart.

is this Kim, under yet another name????

Horace Wimpole wrote:
Gandy again. Is there any story on this site the wanna-be politician won't latch on to? You don't fool us: you're no better than the ones in power. Anyway back to the actual point of this story: I wish Ms. Banfield a speedy recovery and hope the police can manage something here.

actually i echo Kim Gandys sentiments, and as you have been so scathing in your reply, i will assume that you have never been mugged, robbed or abused. I can also assume you support the human rights campaign that let this scum get away with this type of crime.

I also hope the police catch them, but i hold out little hope of a punishment that fits the crime, and that Dear Horace is something the government can do, because they are the ones that feed the punishment guidelines to the judges that hand out these pathetic punishments.

I also wish Ms Banfield a speedy recover, which is one thing we can agree on.

merciless wrote:

dd wrote: It always amazes me that everytime Kim Gandy airs her views she comes under such vicious and rude attacks. She is just as entitled as everybody else to pass comments and about the only person who talks any sense. Why do people think that they have to personally attack her and say such awful things they should be ashamed of themselves. Keep up the good work Kim, at least you keep to the facts and have most genuine peoples interests at heart.

is this Kim, under yet another name????

oh and for your information i am not kim under another name, but i do support her sentiments, they have hit the nail square on the head, cynical she may be, but is quite correct and has summed this government up correctly. For those that are mug enough to still believe the lies they spout, well you deserve what you vote for and if you dont vote for anyone at all, then you are just as bad as those that voted labour in.

as you have been so scathing in your reply, i will assume that you have never been mugged, robbed or abused.

Wrong, wrong and wrong

I can also assume you support the human rights campaign that let this scum get away with this type of crime.

Wrong again. What campaign's that anyway?

But apart from all that, you're spot-on.

Who is Kim Gandy? Why does she always try to turn every story into some political soapbox.

The only Kim Gandy I have ever heard of is the leader of the National Womens Organisation in America.

Has someone taken her name to use for her own malifluous benefit?

Back to the story, I hope that this lady will recover quickly and that her attackers will be caught (though I suspect they won't)and dealth with appropriately. I suggest a public stoning.

Kim Gandy said "However, if you are a pensioner in Scotland, it's all free. Paid for from English taxes - which have been contributed to by, yes, English pensioners during their working lives.
Not here they're not, they're treated like second class citizens, despite the fact that they saved everybody''s butt from the tyranny of a German lunatic and his cohorts".

Just letting you know that I had two Scottish uncles who were killed in that war.
Incidentally, according to Oxford Economics, a highly respected financial institution which supplies data to Governments world wide, Scotland is the only part of the whole of the UK outside the south east of England which pays for itself, via North Sea oil of course. Check it yourself at www.oef.com. You will have to pay for the info I'm afraid , but they do get it right.
Apart from that I hope the lady gets well soon.

I'll bet that in Saudi Arabia the thief would lose at least one hand for committing this vile act, and yet when adopting Sharia Law in Britain is mentioned no one want to know.

Soft on crime or tough on crime ? What is it to be?

JamesS wrote:
I'll bet that in Saudi Arabia the thief would lose at least one hand for committing this vile act, and yet when adopting Sharia Law in Britain is mentioned no one want to know.

Soft on crime or tough on crime ? What is it to be?

Zzzzzzzzz

Silky wrote:
Kim Gandy said "However, if you are a pensioner in Scotland, it's all free. Paid for from English taxes - which have been contributed to by, yes, English pensioners during their working lives. Not here they're not, they're treated like second class citizens, despite the fact that they saved everybody''s butt from the tyranny of a German lunatic and his cohorts". Just letting you know that I had two Scottish uncles who were killed in that war. Incidentally, according to Oxford Economics, a highly respected financial institution which supplies data to Governments world wide, Scotland is the only part of the whole of the UK outside the south east of England which pays for itself, via North Sea oil of course. Check it yourself at www.oef.com. You will have to pay for the info I'm afraid , but they do get it right. Apart from that I hope the lady gets well soon.

What staggers me most is how someone can use a story about a poor old lady getting mugged, to have a go at the distribution of Treasury funds north of the border.

If there's a more shameless piece of electioneering somewhere, I'd like to see it. (Especially if it's not Kim Gandy again)

We love you Grandma! Hope you get well soon, lots of love From Maisie, Giles and Carys xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxx

Im sorry Kim , if you are entitled to the means tested benefit you speak of, then you should count yourself lucky to have it. It unlocks other discounted or free benefits from the system. It is meant as a top up to other incomes and to try to help.
It is not something you are entitled to by rights, you have to meet the criteria.
Also if you have to go into a care home why would you want to keep the previous property? I would have thought being admitted to full time care would mean you would not be returning to said home anyway?
Im sorry but i think you write a lot of drivel on assumption backed up with few true statements.
I hope the lady recovers and that some justice is served.

Thank you all for your kind comments to my grandmother. They will be passed on. As shocking as this crime was, you'll be pleased to know my nan has great bounce-backability, and could still make me laugh over the weekend when I visited her.

Humorously, if this drunken fool would have asked for my nan's handbag she would have gladly handed it over. And probably funniest of all, the idiot got away with possessions that didn't surmount more than £15, ha!

It has been interesting reading your political debate, although slightly off topic. I study Business at the University of Essex. We currently find ourselves in a lose-lose situation when it comes to voting.

Briefly to Racquel above, owning property is an investment and can be a welcome inheritance gift to children.

Take care,

Jake

Thanks Jake (and Maisie). Best wishes to your nan, hope the recovery is coming along well. Glad to hear she's a fighter.