Star comment: No justice for tragic Mrs Minton

She was the victim of a disgusting attack. She was dragged from her bed by an intruder at around 1.30am and repeatedly punched. She was left with a deep gash to her head. Three months later, she was dead. The attack did not directly kill her, as she was diagnosed two months later with cancer.

However, her bereaved family believe it was a significant contributory factor. Apparently weakened physically and psychologically by those terrible events, she went rapidly downhill, unable to fight the disease.

Instead of progressing to the end of her life with her mind as much at peace as could be possible in the circumstances, she was instead having flashbacks to that attack as she lay dying.

As if these events are not tragic enough, there is yet another issue adding to the anguish for her loved ones. And that is that her attacker, the person who shares a great moral responsibility for her death, remains at large.

The crook had broken into her home in Holly Road, Little Dawley, as she slept. Presumably he was looking for money. The vicious assault inflicted on Mrs Minton was entirely gratuitous, the mark of a violent and dangerous criminal, or perhaps a desperate drug-crazed person. In the absence of the offender being caught, we can only speculate, but it does not take too much imagination to conceive of the possibility, or likelihood, that they will do the same thing again, and may even have already done so.

The intruder left with a black box. The family does not know how much money was in it. Any money will disappear, but the black box is a clue. Perhaps somebody saw the person who committed this offence with a black box and, armed with the extra publicity this case is now being given, will put two and two together.

There may be people who already know or suspect who the offender is, but have not come forward. They should examine their own consciences and ask themselves if this is the sort of person who deserves to be protected by them.

Mrs Minton was an elderly lady entitled to a peaceful and dignified death. That entitlement was stolen from her. She has died without justice. And justice continues to be denied to those she has left behind.