Telford grandmother, 96, dies three months after attack by burglar

The family say they are convinced she died as a result of the night-time attack at her bungalow.

Doris Minton, who was known as Joan, died on May 21, after losing a short battle with cancer.

She was diagnosed just two months after the attack and her family believe she had been so weakened physically and psychologically she was not able to fight it.

Today the attacker is still at large and son Patrick Minton has pleaded for information to put him behind bars.

• Help find the man who attacked Mrs Minton in her own home

• Anyone with information should call West Mercia Police on 101

• They can also call anonymously on the police’s Crimestoppers number on 0800 555111

• When calling, you should quote ‘incident 26-s of February 20’

Police today said the investigation into the attack on Doris Minton remain a priority.

Detectives have appealed for any information that could lead to the capture of the man who broke into her home, dragged her out of bed and beat her around the head.

No one has yet been caught since the attack on the 96-year-old at 1.30am on February 20.

The family say an arrest would help give them peace of mind.

But they stressed they are supportive of the police and the action they have taken so far.

Detective Sergeant Fiona Locke, said: "This is still an ongoing investigation which remains a priority and we are actively pursuing all lines of inquiry.

"We remain in close contact with Mrs Minton's family and continue to offer our support during this investigation. We want to reassure Mrs Minton's family and the public that we take all reports of crime seriously and are doing our upmost to find those responsible. I would encourage anyone with any information to contact police."

In the days following the attack, investigating officers gave out flyers in the area appealing for information and asked anyone with CCTV to come forward. Public appeals were also made on Facebook.

Speaking about the police response, Mrs Minton's son Patrick, said: "The police have been very good.

"This is a very unusual crime as it was such a brutal attack on someone so defenceless and the robbery to go with it. Police do not have many people to fit the description of who they are looking for. It just seems like they do not have much to go on.

"It is still an ongoing investigation but obviously we have gone three months since the attack and we have not seen an arrest.

"Our message is if somebody knows the person who did it and, or they have some information, or if this triggers someone's conscience because people were not aware that she died – please get in contact with the police.

"We are not going to give up."

Mrs Minton was repeatedly punched by her attacker, who broke in as she slept at her home in Holly Road, Little Dawley.

Police are still looking for the attacker, who struck at 1.30am on February 20.

Mr Minton, 68, said today: "The family feel although it wasn't the cause of her death – she died of cancer – we feel that it was directly contributed to by what happened.

"She never recovered from this and we saw her go downhill.

"Even when she was dying in bed she was still having flashbacks to the attack.

"The last thing she said the day before she died was 'I keep seeing him and it seemed like he hated me'.

"She was a very strong lady, brought up seven children. She never complained about anything and was very brave throughout all that went on.

"She communicated with the police and was very positive about acting on what happened.

"There are still a lot of questions unanswered – and this person is still out there.

"We want to throw some light on the situation. Someone may see a picture of my mother and it might start something off.

"We are not saying it has been brushed under the carpet but it has been so tragic and we are where we are three months later and this person is still out there and we have not caught him and it is so tragic.

"It has traumatised the family. It has been the worst time of my life."

Mrs Minton was left with a deep gash to her head after being dragged from her bed and repeatedly punched.

Her family believes the attacker was looking for money. He left with a black box and it is not known how much money was in it. Following the attack, investigating officers gave out flyers in the area appealing for information and asking anyone with CCTV to come forward.

Public appeals for details were also made on Facebook but no-one has been caught.

Recalling what he knows about what happened that night, Patrick Minton said: "A man got through the window and physically threw her out of the bed she was asleep in and assaulted her.

"It looks like he had gone into parts of the bungalow looking for a safe because one or two pictures had been moved and stuff like that. He could not find anything but just came back into the bedroom and assaulted her.

"He took a black box which we believe contained some money but we do not know how much money was in there.

"He threw her out of bed – she had a replacement hip and already had severe arthritis and needed an aid to get around anywhere.

"He struck a blow to her face and caused bad bruising.

"The alarm was raised because she was screaming and it alerted the neighbours and they got in touch with my son Darren. He came down, found out what had happened and rang the police and ambulance, which took her to hospital.

"She was taken to hospital and examined for anything really serious. All they found was bad bruising and trauma.

"She stayed with me for several days, I wanted her to stay here longer but she was a very independent lady and her attitude was 'he is not going to beat me', so she went back to her home several days later."

But an already horrific situation took a tragic turn last month, when Mrs Minton was diagnosed with cancer.

Her son said: "We could already see she was generally deteriorating. Every time we saw her you could see she was not getting any better and was getting weaker.

"She had a fall in the bath at the beginning of May. She tried to put up with it but the ambulance had to take her to hospital and then she was diagnosed with lymphoma and a heart-related condition, which they put down to old age.

"After May, the lymphoma got hold of her and spread and that was it. She did not have the strength to fight it.

"But we feel as a family that this attack contributed to what happened to her. She never recovered, she lost her strength and she was always a very strong person and all the family feel that way as well. We saw her go down hill.

"She looked very well before this happened and I feel it is too much of a coincidence that this all happened in a few months.

"She did mention to us that 'I hope they catch him' but even when she was dying in bed she was still having flashbacks to the incident. The last thing she said the day before she died was 'I keep seeing him and it seemed like he hated me'.

"Here we have got a lady, 96 years old, who'd brought up seven children, gone through World War Two and the 1930s, and all these decades, and then died like that having flashbacks about what happened to her. It has been so stressful."

Mrs Minton had seven children and 50 grandchildren and great grandchildren. Her late husband, George – who fought in the Second World War – died 30 years ago. Mrs Minton had left school at the age of 14 to go to work – cycling six miles from Dawley to Wellington six days a week. After she got married she stayed at home to look after her children. In her 70s, she got some part-time work cleaning offices in Madeley.

She moved to the bungalow in Little Dawley eight years ago – and Mr Minton said she had felt safe in the area.

He said: "She was a very strong-minded lady, very positive, never asked for anything, did not expect anything from anyone and just got on with her life. She was a devoted mother and grandmother and her family was her life."

The funeral took place on May 21, with about 100 people at Dawley Methodist Church. Mr Minton said it would give the family "peace of mind" if his mother's attacker was caught.

He said: "It is not going to bring her back but it would give us a little peace of mind – all the family I have spoken to are all of the same opinion, it would give us a lot of satisfaction to know that he was made accountable for what he has done.

"We think people went in there looking for money. They thought there was money in there to be taken and we understand people knew she had some money.

"We cannot prove anything, we don't know if this was pre-meditated or an opportunist crime – but it was known in the town she had money and somebody out there may know something more."