Shocking CCTV footage shows thug attack dementia sufferer in her own home and ripping her rings from her fingers
This sickening video shows a callous thug robbing a frail 89-year-old dementia sufferer in her own home – tearing the rings from her fingers after knocking her to the floor.
Despicable Dwayne Hollingworth tricked his way into Alice Swale’s house where he sat on her and stripped her of her jewellery – including the wedding band she had worn for 48 years.
Mrs Swale, who also suffers from diabetes, was so shaken by her ordeal she has been forced to leave her home of more than 60 years.
Vile Hollingworth, 27, was caught because her son feared she was being taken advantage of and had installed CCTV cameras at her house.
Police found the coward cowering in a tent in his brother’s garden where they recovered the pensioner’s three rings. He also stole her purse.
He has now been jailed for almost ten years under new sentencing guidelines for what police said was the worst robbery they had seen in 20 years.
Judge Jeremy Richardson QC told Hollingworth: “You are a callous individual, devoid of an ounce of common decency.
“Your sustained attack upon Mrs Swale, an 89-year-old lady, was truly vile.”
Hull Crown Court heard how he conned his way into his victim’s home in the city on the pretext of trying to sell meat he had stolen.
He then asked to use her upstairs toilet and Mrs Swale heard him making his way through her bedroom.
The footage shows her frailty and vulnerability as she steadies herself by holding on to the door and furniture when he comes back to the living room.
Hollingworth then engages her in conversation before placing his left arm around her waist and uses the weight of his body to bring her crashing to the floor.
She falls against a chair and narrowly misses catching her head on a coffee table.
Mrs. Swale’s son Laurence, 64, said: “It could have been murder.”
The footage then shows Hollingworth on top of Mrs Swale violently pulling at her hand.
“He’s wrenching at the
rings on her finger,” said prosecutor Phillip Evans.
Having got the rings and purse, Hollingworth looks around for anything else to steal, then spills beer from a can he was drinking from in the hallway.
Hollingworth, who was under the influence of drink and drugs at the time admitted robbery and sentenced to a total of nine years and seven months.
Detective Constable Lee Sims said: “This was a despicable offence against a very vulnerable elderly woman in her own home.
“The sentence issued by the court shows the severity of the offence and highlights that the police, courts and society will not tolerate such crimes.”
Mr Swale said he wanted the footage released to show the full extent of Hollingworth’s crime.
“I want him named and shamed,” he said.
Speaking the day after the attack to police, Mrs Swale said: “”It’s flipping awful, I’ll tell you. It was terrible. It was bloody painful.
“I couldn’t stop crying all yesterday afternoon. I don’t understand these people.
“It could have been murder.”
Within seconds of seeing Ms Swale brutally knocked to the floor – tears ran down my eyes. It got me thinking, what if this was my mother/grandmother? The thought of this is just too painful to bear. Like most of us commenting on this post we feel compelled by this story. I couldn’t sit back and do nothing – so please help me raise money for Ms Swale to replace her stolen jewellery. We will never be able to replace the items stolen, especially those sentimental ones – but lets help give Ms Swale a slice of her dignity back.
https://crowdfunding.justgiving.com/Ms-Swale-Fundraiser
I installed this system on behalf of My i and I must say I’m pleased we helped to catch this mindless thug, it’s beyond belief that someone can do something so callous and I’m pleased the police were able to apprehend this person on the day of the robbery thanks to our CCTV installation and it secured a 9 year and 7 month sentence for him. Well Done Humberside Police.