74-year-old woman attacked in her home

Reporter: Ask Bury
Date online: 06 July 2006

Detectives in Bury are appealing for the public's help to trace a burglar who attacked a 74-year-old pensioner as she lay in her bed.

In the early hours of Sunday 2 July 2006, Audrey Ellis went to bed in her bungalow on Padiham Close in Bury and, due to the hot weather, she opened a window.

At approximately 4.30am Audrey was awoken by a man in her room. He pinned her down by her throat on her bed and demanded money, before punching her in the face and threatening her with a small pocketknife.

The commotion awoke Audrey's son who was sleeping in another part of the house but the offender ran off before he could be confronted.

The offender is believed to be a white man, between 20 to 30-years old, approximately 5ft5ins tall and of skinny build. He is described as having a spotty complexion and short brown/blond hair. He was wearing a dark jumper tucked into dark jeans and spoke with a strong Bury accent.

A small lady's wristwatch was stolen with the words ' to mum with all our love' engraved on the back.

Audrey Ellis said quot; I was very frightened but tried my best to stay calm. I think he is a maniac. It has made me realise how vulnerable I was."

Detective Inspector Simon Collier from Whitefield CID said: quot; Burglary is a very personal and intrusive crime, but the aggravating features of this incident make it horrific. Audrey is quite a remarkable character and has shown tremendous qualities in describing her ordeal. She remained very calm throughout which shows great courage. She has received treatment for injuries to her neck, nose and mouth and is clearly very shocked by the whole incident.

"We have several lines of enquiry to follow including forensic examinations and CCTV viewing, but these enquiries can take considerable time. It is vitally important that we catch this man very quickly.

"Reducing burglary offences and bringing the offenders to justice is a priority for Greater Manchester Police. We have dedicated officers investigating burglary crime and we have achieved some excellent results this year, however, I am appealing for anyone who knows who is responsible for this particularly nasty crime, or who has any information about the attacker to contact police. All calls will be treated in confidence."

Anybody with any information about this incident is asked to contact Whitefield CID on 0161 856 8248 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111