Daughter's rage at burglar who punched and dragged her 'very brave' elderly mother from her bed during raid on her home

Larraine Hilton describes attack on her mother, 88, as 'terrible and senseless'
Said her mother was 'very brave' and had tried to fight back against the attacker
Ex England rugby captain Bill Beaumont sends best wishes to former employee
Andrew Hodgkinson, 35, of Chorley, Lancs has been charged with robbery

Published: 00:23 BST, 29 August 2017 | Updated: 00:32 BST, 29 August 2017

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The daughter of an elderly woman battered and bruised by a burglar last night branded it a ‘terrible and senseless’ crime.

Great-grandmother Evelyn Birchall, 88, was punched and dragged from her bed during the attack in the early hours of Saturday.

Despite her injuries, the widow managed to crawl to a neighbour’s house and call for help.

Larraine Hilton, left, the daughter of Evelyn Birchall, 88, who was beaten in her own home, has condemned the ‘terrible and senseless’ crime and described her mother as 'very brave'

Last night her daughter Larraine Hilton, 65, said her mother, who worked as a secretary for former England rugby captain Bill Beaumont before she retired, had been incredibly brave.

‘She was fast asleep,’ Mrs Hilton, a retired police officer from Chorley, Lancashire, said. ‘The first thing [the burglar] did was go into her bedroom and start hitting her in the face. She opened her eyes and tried to hit him back.

‘He dragged her out of bed on to the floor. She’s got bruises all over her body. It’s absolutely horrendous.

‘She’s been very, very brave. She’s amazed me. Before this she’s not someone I would have said had a steely character, but after he left her bedroom and went into the dining room she got up and followed him.

Mrs Birchall suffered bruises all over her body in the attack but managed to crawl to a neighbour's home to seek help

‘That’s when he left out the back dining room doors and she went to the neighbours for help.’

Mrs Hilton said the attacker made off with just a few pieces of jewellery which have fortunately since been recovered.

‘It’s just senseless, absolutely senseless,’ she added. ‘To put an 88-year-old woman through this, for what? … All he’s got is a prison sentence.’

Last night Beaumont said he had seen news reports of the break-in but had not realised Mrs Birchall was the victim. He said she had worked for his family’s textile firm in Chorley and was much loved by colleagues.

‘She was secretary to my father for many years and worked for the family business until she retired,’ he said.

‘When you have known someone for so long it is a real shock.

‘From all the family, we send her our best wishes and it is good to hear she is out of hospital and on the mend.’ The alleged robbery occurred shortly after midnight on Saturday at Mrs Birchall’s bungalow in Chorley where she lives alone.

Her husband Alan, a fireman, died of a heart attack aged 65, 26 years ago.

Mrs Birchall is pictured in hospital in an image put out by Lancashire Police. She was discharged several hours after arriving but has not yet returned home

Mrs Birchall was treated in hospital before being discharged several hours later, but is staying with relatives and has not yet returned home.

Her daughter said: ‘She’s very withdrawn, quiet and very frail. She’s just started to eat a little bit today.

Former England rugby union captain Bill Beaumont sent his best wishes to Mrs Birchall, who used to work for him as a secretary

‘The bruises on the outside will heal but it will be the inside that takes longer.’

Mrs Hilton said her mother’s neighbours had rallied round to help her, and strangers on social media were also supportive. ‘One person has offered to help pay for a new burglar alarm, she’s also had another person offering to put her up or pay for her shopping this week,’ she added.

‘It’s restored my faith in human nature. The response has been marvellous. People have been so kind.’

A neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said: ‘What kind of person attacks a woman of 88 who cannot defend herself?

‘The street is in shock … The elderly should be able to sleep peacefully in their beds. The mind boggles that some thug picks on her as a soft target.’

Yesterday, Andrew Hodgkinson, of Chorley, appeared at Preston magistrates’ court charged with robbery.

The 35-year-old spoke only to confirm his name and address. He will appear at Preston Crown Court next month.