91 year old woman robbed of the money she saved for her own funeral

Foxhound38 · 09-12-2014 12:04PM #1

"She just wanted to go home, that is to heaven, those were her words"

:mad:

Fcuking animals that took that money, that's all I can really say about it. How can such creatures sleep at night?

Timberrrrrrrr · 09-12-2014 12:06PM

****ing scumbags, hopefully they die a slow painful death giving them plenty of time to ponder their actions.

Falthyron · 09-12-2014 12:07PM

Bloody hell, the Independent sure has turned into a really awful paper. Has it always been this tabloid-y?

DoYouEvenLift · 09-12-2014 12:07PM

Someone should start a donation page for her, I'd gladly give money to her.

The worst thing is you know people who do sh!t like this do it so they can use the money probably on stupid sh!t like drugs or booze or just materialistic things they don't even need.

Kermit.de.frog · 09-12-2014 12:07PM

At least it didn't happen in Ireland.

Sheep Lover · 09-12-2014 12:07PM

I don't understand these threads, all we can say is "let the scumbags hang" or words to that effect. Terrible thing to happen and all.

mikom · 09-12-2014 12:10PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1eNW7GG_Q8

K.Flyer · 09-12-2014 12:12PM

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

At least it didn't happen in Ireland.

Ahhh.. but it does happen and too often.

Falthyron · 09-12-2014 12:17PM

Sheep Lover wrote: »

I don't understand these threads, all we can say is "let the scumbags hang" or words to that effect. Terrible thing to happen and all.

Exactly.

The primary 'shock value' of this article is the quote: "She just wanted to go home, that is to Heaven, those were her words." If it wasn't for this, it would be another elderly person's home being robbed. While it is certainly a poor reflection on certain people in society, break-ins happen all the time.

How could the thieves possibly have known she was saving the money for her own funeral? For all they knew, that was her stash for her cocaine habit.

Again, I re-iterate, the act is deplorable. Stealing is a disgraceful thing, but it happens. However, the sensationalist focus of this article is designed specifically to rile up the masses when the reality is; it's just another robbery.

Timberrrrrrrr · 09-12-2014 12:18PM

Falthyron wrote: »

Bloody hell, the Independent sure has turned into a really awful paper. Has it always been this tabloid-y?

So this sort of thing should only be reported in the redtops? :rolleyes:

Tail Docker · 09-12-2014 12:18PM

Little old lady a few miles up the road, she lives alone. Nice, decent, quiet woman. Of course, the skangbags prey on her mercilessly.

I drive past slowly, with my fingers crossed - one day hopefully they will be coming out/parked at/going into her house. I will reinforce their moral fiber to a high degree with extreme prejudice.

seventeen sheep · 09-12-2014 12:18PM

They have a good point, asking people to check with elderly relations that money isn't being stored in their home.

A good friend of mine - his granny died a few years ago. For the twenty years previous, she'd been insisting she wanted to be buried wearing a certain blue blouse that was folded up in her wardrobe. Well, the day came, and her children found €15,000 in fifty euro notes folded up in that blue blouse. And a note, saying that it was to cover her funeral, and the remainder to be given to her grandchildren. Isn't it just lucky she'd never been robbed - they wouldn't have been long finding the cash. Her children had no idea she had that sort of money, let alone that she was keeping it in the house!

It's only total utter scumbags that would rob an elderly person like that. Horrible to think of.

Sheep Lover · 09-12-2014 12:20PM

Timberrrrrrrr wrote: »

So this sort of thing should only be reported in the redtops? :rolleyes:

The sensationalist aspect is akin to the red tops.

Falthyron · 09-12-2014 12:22PM

Timberrrrrrrr wrote: »

So this sort of thing should only be reported in the redtops? :rolleyes:

It's just another robbery. These happen all the time, especially to elderly people. Is it because she was saving to go to Heaven, that her particular incident should receive media attention? Perhaps a more analytical article would make more sense? Instead of focusing on just one person, why not do some research to show figures of robberies in people's homes during the Christmas period and finish the article with recommending some tips to avoiding break-ins, or asking neighbours to keep an eye out if a local is out of town?

This is Daily Mail stuff at it's lowest.

Timberrrrrrrr · 09-12-2014 12:26PM

The idiotic snobbery of the last couple of posts is laughable to say the least.

ascophere · 09-12-2014 12:27PM

Does she not get to go to heaven now because she is poor? Is that how it works? I'll donate some heavenly cash if possible. She should have the chance to confront the thieves in heaven (they will be there obviously because they have all the blessed money.)

Falthyron · 09-12-2014 12:33PM

Timberrrrrrrr wrote: »

The idiotic snobbery of the last couple of posts is laughable to say the least.

Snobbery?

What makes this lady's ordeal any different to another elderly person experiencing a break-in? Are you suggesting the lady in the article is the only elderly person to experience a break-in during the last two weeks? What makes her break-in worthy of a write-up in a newspaper? If you could be specific, please.

This article should be about a robbery. Everything else the author uses to describe the incident is frivolous window-dressing.

Robbery.
Elderly Person.
Christmas Time.
Advice.
Tips.
Be Careful.

Do you think the thieves planned this meticulously? That they knew she was saving for Heaven and said: "A trip to Heaven is expensive, she will have loads of money. Let's rob her"?

Slanty · 09-12-2014 12:33PM

New laws need to be passed so the scumbags might think twice about robbing a defenceless person. Lowest of the low in my opinion.

Instead they pass more rubbish motor offenses that only punish the general public.

J Cheever Loophole · 09-12-2014 12:37PM

Falthyron wrote: »

Again, I re-iterate, the act is deplorable. Stealing is a disgraceful thing, but it happens. However, the sensationalist focus of this article is designed specifically to rile up the masses when the reality is; it's just another robbery.

If more and more people start to treat crimes like this as 'just another robbery', then maybe the time has come to start sensationalising?

Falthyron · 09-12-2014 12:43PM

J Cheever Loophole wrote: »

If more and more people start to treat crimes like this as 'just another robbery', then maybe the time has come to start sensationalising?

And if we begin to sensationalise everything, it produces apathy. How can we get excited/riled-up all the time about everything? We would never be able to distinguish between what is important/relevant and what is trivial/secondary. Furthermore, sensationalism will not deter thieves. Do they read the papers? Probably not.

Sensationalism only stirs up (generally) overreactions. When a crime is committed, we need sense, logic, to remain calm and level headed, not to be calling for people's heads or castration. This is why we have a legal system.

If these thieves are caught, they will be given a sentence commensurate to other crimes. There won't be 'special' conditions attached because it was money for Heaven. It was a robbery and they will face a sentence that matches other robberies.

conorhal · 09-12-2014 12:55PM

I think that our government should legislate for the specific crime of targeting the elderly and sentencing should reflect that. Whatever you'd get for burglary plus 10yrs.

hmmm · 09-12-2014 01:01PM

Falthyron wrote: »

Again, I re-iterate, the act is deplorable. Stealing is a disgraceful thing, but it happens. However, the sensationalist focus of this article is designed specifically to rile up the masses when the reality is; it's just another robbery.

I know you're not trying to dismiss the act, but in a way we need more emotion in this. Saying "it's just another robbery" is unfair on the victims - for many people a robbery will be their only experience of crime, and it can be devastating. The perpetrators will do this to 10 other houses that night, and a judge will give them a slap on the wrist.

We need more emotion, we need to hear the stories behind crime, and we need the pampered judges who retreat to their leafy south Dublin estates every evening to understand the impact of so-called low-level crime.

Grayson · 09-12-2014 01:02PM

conorhal wrote: »

I think that our government should legislate for the specific crime of targeting the elderly and sentencing should reflect that. Whatever you'd get for burglary plus 10yrs.

Define elderly?

Grayson · 09-12-2014 01:13PM

hmmm wrote: »

I know you're not trying to dismiss the act, but in a way we need more emotion in this. Saying "it's just another robbery" is unfair on the victims - for many people a robbery will be their only experience of crime, and it can be devastating. The perpetrators will do this to 10 other houses that night, and a judge will give them a slap on the wrist.

We need more emotion, we need to hear the stories behind crime, and we need the pampered judges who retreat to their leafy south Dublin estates every evening to understand the impact of so-called low-level crime.

Why do we need to do that. Why do we need to wring our hands and/or scream in outrage? The world is filled with tiny tragedies that occur on every minute of every day. Right now people are dying in hospitals. People are going hungry in their homes. And that's just Ireland. If you want really tragedy there's Syria or even Liberia.

Ireland is one of the safest places on the planet. Events like the one in the story, although tragic, are a rarity. They just seem worse and more frequent because it's reported more often and with more emotive language. Crime, especially violent crime, has dropped every year since the 90's.

And if you're trying to say that our crime is so "bad" because the judges living in their nice houses don't care, do you have any evidence to back that up? Remember violent crime is decreasing. It's been constantly decreasing.

We should have educated discussions about crime, gay marriage, the environment etc... but they should be calm and rational and informed.

DeadHand · 09-12-2014 01:14PM

Grayson wrote: »

Define elderly?

Aye, this is the thing, it's very much open to interpretation.

However, I do feel strongly that the law should come down heaviest on those who prey on the most vulnerable (the young, the old, the disabled).

kylith · 09-12-2014 01:15PM

Is it awful that an old woman was targeted? Yes.
Is it likely that she was targeted because elderly people often have money hidden in the house? Probably.

Poor woman, I hope she can get some measure of peace after this.

lazygal · 09-12-2014 01:18PM

conorhal wrote: »

I think that our government should legislate for the specific crime of targeting the elderly and sentencing should reflect that. Whatever you'd get for burglary plus 10yrs.

1) Define elderly.
2) Define targeting.

bear1 · 09-12-2014 01:19PM

Slanty wrote: »

New laws need to be passed so the scumbags might think twice about robbing a defenceless person. Lowest of the low in my opinion.

Instead they pass more rubbish motor offenses that only punish the general public.

You do realise that this didn't happen in the ROI right?

hmmm · 09-12-2014 01:21PM

Grayson wrote: »

Ireland is one of the safest places on the planet. Events like the one in the story, although tragic, are a rarity. Crime, especially violent crime, has dropped every year since the 90's.

They're not rare, and people know they're not rare because we hear about them happening in our local communities - particularly in rural areas. I have never known as many burglaries as I hear about today, and I've never seen such impunity by the perpetrators who think nothing about going into a remote property armed with a hammer or a knife. My own grandparents lived out their final years half afraid to sleep in a house which we had to ring with iron bars after repeated burglary attempts - that is unacceptable in any community, despite what any "statistics" say.

High level violent crime may have dropped, but despite what the manipulated crime statistics (ref the recent Garda inspectorate report) say so-called low level crime has not dropped, and if anything most people feel it is increasing - worse, people increasingly feel that low level crime is now tolerated by our judicial system.

conorhal · 09-12-2014 01:37PM

lazygal wrote: »

1) Define elderly.
2) Define targeting.

1) Above retirement age (68) would be a reasonable benchmark.

2) Does targeting really require further definition?

lazygal · 09-12-2014 01:40PM

conorhal wrote: »

1) Above retirement age (68) would be a reasonable benchmark.

2) Does targeting really require further definition?

1) Not everyone over 68 is a delicate pensioner. I know pensioners well over that age who'd give me a run for my money in the fitness stakes.
2) How would you go about proving that a person aged 68 years or over was specifically targeted by a burglar? What level of intent are you proposing?

91 year old woman robbed of the money she saved for her own funeral

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