Grandmother suffered horrific injuries after hooded mugger threw her against wall 'like a rag doll' as he grabbed her bag for £12

  • Jean Maddock, 77, was attacked by thug as she parked her car in garage
  • He threw her against a brick wall and demanded she give him her handbag
  • But she wrestled with mugger and even managed to poke him in the eye
  • He eventually ripped bag off her and fled - even though it only had £12 in 

By Thomas Burrows for MailOnline

Published: 05:57 EST, 12 June 2015 | Updated: 07:47 EST, 12 June 2015

Brutal: Grandmother-of-two Jean Maddock was left with a black eye after the vicious assault in the garage outside her Nottingham home

Brutal: Grandmother-of-two Jean Maddock was left with a black eye after the vicious assault in the garage outside her Nottingham home

A pensioner was flung around 'like a rag doll' by a hooded mugger as he threw her against a wall and grabbed her bag for just £12.

Jean Maddock, a grandmother-of-two, was left with blood pouring from a deep wound on her forehead and cuts and bruises, as she wrestled with her attacker for several minutes. 

But the 77-year-old said she 'felt sorry' for the callous thug who attacked her as he has 'sold his life for £12'.   

Ms Maddock had just returned home from a friend's house last Saturday when the hooded mugged struck just after 10pm. 

She parked her car in her garage when the attacker appeared and demanded she hand over her handbag. 

When the grandmother-of-two refused, the thug snatched her bag and threw her against a brick wall near her home in Sherwood Rise, Nottingham.   

Determined not to back down, Ms Maddock managed to grapple with her attacker for several minutes in the street. 

She even managed to poke the thug in the eye and knee him in the groin during the struggle - before he eventually ripped the bag off her and fled.

Despite blood pouring from her forehead and having lost her glasses, the grandmother-of-two chased the mugger to the end of the road screaming 'stop, stop, call the police'. 

After he ran out of sight, she knocked on the door of a neighbour who called the emergency services. 

She was taken to the Queen's Medical Centre hospital in Nottingham, where she was treated for cuts and bruises. 

Ms Maddock managed to wrestle with her attacker as he tried to grab her handbag off her
The grandmother-of-two has been left shaken up by the brutal attacker

Battered: Ms Maddock managed to wrestle with her attacker as he tried to grab her handbag off her

Scene of crime: Ms Maddock was mugged outside her garage on in Sherwood Rise, Nottingham (pictured)

Scene of crime: Ms Maddock was mugged outside her garage on in Sherwood Rise, Nottingham (pictured)

Suspect: An e-fit of the robber that attacked Ms Maddock - he has been described as white, slim, 5ft 7in and in his 20s

Suspect: An e-fit of the robber that attacked Ms Maddock - he has been described as white, slim, 5ft 7in and in his 20s

Speaking after the incident, Ms Maddock, who has lived on her own for 42 years, said: 'I had locked the car and turned round and this man was in front of me.

'At first, I didn't feel threatened but then he stepped closer to me and his first words were "give me the bag", which was hanging around my neck.

'There isn't much space between the car and the wall so, as he was wrestling to get the bag from me, I was being thrown against the brick wall.

'He then managed to wrestle the bag off me and ran off with it.

'I ran after it screaming for help and shouting for the police. I was shouting "stop stop, call police", because adrenaline just kicked in.

'I was just shouting at the top of my lungs - I'm surprised it didn't damage by windpipe. I was screaming blue murder.

'But I was not going to just stand there and do nothing.

'I acted on instinct, I've never done any self defence classes or anything like that, but I was going to have a good go.

'Some people have said why didn't you just give him the bag. But I wasn't just going to let him go without a fight.

'I ran all the way down the road but nobody came out. I pulled my phone out but I couldn't see it because he had knocked my glasses off.

'I knocked a house but there was no answer and then some other people came out.

'I didn't know I had any damage but they saw I had swelling and bleeding and called the emergency services.

'They came straight away and took me to hospital. We arrived at 11pm and I got home at 7am the next morning.'

Deep wound: The pensioner was left with a nasty gash on her forehead, but still tried to wrestle with the thug

Deep wound: The pensioner was left with a nasty gash on her forehead, but still tried to wrestle with the thug

She added: 'He had a choice to make and he made the wrong choice. He must be desperate to do something like this, and that's sad.

'He's sold his life for £12. If I saw him now, I would just feel sorry for him.

'But this man needs to be caught, he is low life.' 

Jean, who worked in administration in the health service before she retired 14 years ago, said she now felt unsafe when parking her car in the garage late at night.

But the pensioner, who volunteers for Victim Support, has vowed to carry on as normal as otherwise it would make the victim feel as if he had won. 

Crime scene: Ms Maddock was attacked outside her garage (pictured) when she parked her car last Saturday

Crime scene: Ms Maddock was attacked outside her garage (pictured) when she parked her car last Saturday

Jean's friend Margaret Handley, 74, added: 'She was really spooked. It's dreadful what has happened.

'It makes you realise how vulnerable you are. He must be desperate to attack an old lady.'

Police have described the thug - who was wearing a dark hooded top - as white, slim, 5ft 7in and in his 20s.

Detective Inspector Mike Allen, from Nottinghamshire Police, said: 'He tossed her around like a rag doll and threw her up against the wall.

'She sustained some really nasty cuts and bruises.

'The attacker was last seen on Beech Avenue and we are urging members of the public to look at the photo fit to see if they recognise this man.

'Jean is a brave lady and her resilience is absolutely marvellous.

'She is trying to not let it impact her and, hopefully, she won't change the way she goes about her life, because she has done absolutely nothing wrong.'

Anyone with any information is asked to call Nottinghamshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.  

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