attack near ED station (Thursday 29th March 2012)

[tfayers]

Just to warn everyone, I (female, 30s) was walking home from ED station just after midnight on Thursday and outside my house (between the gate and front door) someone grabbed me from behind. I managed to scream then he gripped my neck so tightly that I could not scream and said something like if I did not keep quiet I would die tonight. I was struggling and somehow managed to scream again and fortunately he ran off. By the time I got indoors my neighbours had come down and called the police, who came promptly and recorded the story (one remembers so little - I did not see the attacker at all as he was behind and remembered few details) and they took my scarf and DNA samples from my neck. Luckily the attacker did not take anything - he must have got scared (the neighbours said my scream was blood-curdling). The police said there was a very similar attack nearby a few hours beforehand and the woman had broken her own window to get her husbands attention. I am lucky as my two immediate neighbours (who I know) came down to see what was happening but no one else did. So ironically, it is fortunate that it was outside my door as if it had been somewhere else probably no one would have got involved. Plus I suppose i am lucky that he was quite inept - probably an opportunist - and did not have a weapon.

I am going to get an attack alarm - I think we should all carry them these days in the evenings- at least it may help to scare attackers off, even if, sadly in this day and age, bystanders tend to nonchlently ignore them.

[zeban]

Oh god that's absolutely awful, how horrible. I'm so glad you're ok. Thank you for the warning.

[J27]

What a horrendous experience tfayers! I'm glad you managed to scream - it must have been so difficult in the circumstances. And well done to your neighbours for coming down. I totally agree about the attack alarm - I've got them for my teenaged children who are out at night probably more than I am. The Suzy Lamplugh Trust sell various alarms online, and their website is very informative. Hope you'll recover well, take care, J

[Twirly]

So sorry to hear that, and hope you're OK. Thanks for the warning as well.

[tallulah71]

What a hideous experience - can't believe it. My auntie was burgled in her home opp. the Horniman museum years ago. She saw a man open her bedroom door and motion to the other man that she was asleep, which she wasn't but she was pretending to be. How she managed to stay calm while the men cleared her flat out I'll never know. You too seem to have reacted in a really brave way.....I hope you feel OK x

[tfayers]

Thank you all very much for your kind words and for the advice about where to get an attack alarm. I was lucky to get away with only minimal facial bruises (where he was grabbing my face), thank you for asking :)

[JBoylen]

I hope you are ok, what a terrifying experience.

[Applespider]

How awful for you. I had my bag grabbed a few years ago outside my house. Don't worry if it takes a while for you not jump whenever you hear footsteps behind you. I'm sure I was still doing it a year later. It did make me a lot more conscious about 'scanning' around whenever I'm walking back late.

I got a personal alarm from Victim Support free of charge but must confess that I now don't carry it. Why? Because it sounds like a car alarm and when I did inadvertently set it off one evening, there was absolutely no response. On the night where I screamed, like you, multiple neighbours came out. So, I walk down the road prepared to scream if necessary - now if there was a personal alarm than sounded like a scream without being too easy to set off, it might be useful!

[dulwichgirl2]

Dear God, this is horrendous. Thank you so much for posting and warning everyone. It is a salutary reminder that very very nasty people exist. THat was not an ordinary burglar. Could you give the police a description of his voice even? Height? Smell? So sorry to ask these things.

Very sorry you have had this experience and thank you again.

[v_the_gelfling]

Jesus,this is awful. Terrifying. I hope that you are ok.

[minder]

Hope you're getting over this - especially as it happened outside your front door.

What road was this on?

[mrsS]

I am so sorry to hear what happened to you!

And I also wanted to say how awful and traumatizing it is to experience something like that. U did too, but in my own bedroom by a guy who had broken in to my flat. Make sure you get the right support if needed, I was very affected by the event and and found it quite difficult for about 6 months after that it happened.

[mrsS]

I meant I did too. Stupid auto correct on my phone !

[northlondoner]

Terrible to hear this. Hope you are ok. And hopefully they will catch him soon.

[Razors]

Terrible. Hope you are recovering. As difficult as it may be do try to remember nasty people are in the minority. Hope things are better.

[givemecake]

How terrifying, thank you for alerting us all to this.

Applespider, there is an alarm that sounds like a scream - I'm thinking of buying one:

http://www.marksandspencer.com/M-S-Personal-Safety-Alarm/dp/B002PNPL3Q#CustomerReviewsHeader

[tfayers]

Thank you again to you all for your messages of support - much appreciated.

[amos91179]

Really sorry to hear about your experience. I just logged on to see whether anyone had posted about another incident last night, and saw this thread. I live on Hayes Grove and a girl was mugged right outside our block at about midnight last night - Monday 2nd April. I was in bed and heard awful screaming from outside. I felt it could be idiots mucking around, but the screaming was so horrendous I had a look out of the window. I saw a girl coming into our block but assumed she lived here - I have not lived in the block long and don't know all the faces as yet. All seemed normal so I thought nothing else of it. But it turns out she was the one who had been mugged - again, female and in her 30s. She is friends with my neighbour and so she just came knocking on the door for help, since it had happened right outside.

The attacker was a black man with a cap and a hoody I believe. I am a bit sketchy on the description as I have only just found out about all this but the cap might have been red if I remember rightly.

The girl was walking through from ED station, via Vale End then Hayes Grove, to get to her own street. The guy attacked her by the bin sheds of our block....on Hayes Grove, very close to Copleston Road.

He only got away with her yoga bag - she wears a handbag that crosses her body which made that too difficult thankfully. He approached from behind and when she turned to him, having heard something behind her, he covered her mouth and wrestled her bag off her.

So it seems there is a bit of a trend going on at the moment and we all need to be aware. Spread the word!

[benmorg]

It sounds like the same person and his MO seems to be following single vulnerable victims from the train station late at night. So it should be possible for the police to catch him by installing some CCTV around the station. Surely the fact that he threatened to kill merits extra attention from the police and a bit of investment in extra surveillance. This guy deserves to be locked up for years.

[dulwichgirl2]

Single or vulnerable people could ask people leaving the station to walk along together... Unfortunately on relfection it would lead to the arrest of the person asking I fear....

Op, hope you are feeling a bit better. Could you and your neighbours install a big movement activated light if the path is a bit dark? Just thinking practically. it is also a reminder to everyone to looks found before opening the front door. Better to be screaming outside than in the hall. Dear god, it makes me shudder to imagine it.

[Loz]

benmorg Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> It sounds like the same person and his MO seems to be following single vulnerable victims from the

> train station late at night. So it should be possible for the police to catch him by installing

> some CCTV around the station. Surely the fact that he threatened to kill merits extra attention from

> the police and a bit of investment in extra surveillance. This guy deserves to be locked up

> for years.

Good lord, why do people think CCTV is the answer to these problems? Let's think this through. The police could:

1) Install a CCTV camera. With the pole, the camera, the cabling and the comms, this would take about six months and cost rather a lot of money. They would also have to monitor the camera, which will either be dedicated monitoring station (more money) or part of a wider monitoring system, which means there would be quite a chance that anyone being mugged wouldn't be noticed. Also, since cameras have limited visibility, there would need to be a number of cameras, increasing both the cost and the probability that any mugging would be missed.

2) Go all old fashioned and deploy a couple of plain clothes police. Or even uniformed ones, if you want a deterrent effect.

On the other hand, CCTV does allow you to watch a replay of your mugging afterwards, possibly in slow motion, so it's not all money wasted, is it?

[Cas59]

What a nightmare its becoming, Im sorry to hear what happened to you and others. its just getting so bad.

[benmorg]

Loz Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Good lord, why do people think CCTV is the answer

> to these problems? Let's think this through. The

> police could:

>

> 1) Install a CCTV camera. With the pole, the

> camera, the cabling and the comms, this would take

> about six months and cost rather a lot of money.

> They would also have to monitor the camera, which

> will either be dedicated monitoring station (more

> money) or part of a wider monitoring system, which

> means there would be quite a chance that anyone

> being mugged wouldn't be noticed. Also, since

> cameras have limited visibility, there would need

> to be a number of cameras, increasing both the

> cost and the probability that any mugging would be

> missed.

Why would someone have to monitor the live feed?

[Loz]

Because otherwise it doesn't protect, it just allows you to watch the 'highlights' afterwards of an unrecognisable person wearing a hoodie mugging someone. Muggers might be complete barstewards, but they're generally not stupid.

[benmorg]

Loz Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Because otherwise it doesn't protect, it just

> allows you to watch the 'highlights' afterwards of

> an unrecognisable person wearing a hoodie mugging

> someone. Muggers might be complete barstewards,

> but they're generally not stupid.

The camera might not catch the mugger's face but would certainly help with building a physical description. Not sure what you mean by "highlights". Any film of the mugger hanging around or walking would potentially be useful. I doubt whether a camera at the station would film the crime as the mugger in question follows victims onto back streets before trying to rob them.

Constant monitoring of the feed is impractical, but a 24 hour digital recording with time stamp would allow police to see victims being followed from the station after the crime had been reported. The presence of cameras might also act as a deterrent.