Widow robbed in hammer attack

4:33pm Monday 1st October 2001

AN ELDERLY widow from Northumberland Heath has said she may never go out again after being mugged twice in two weeks.

Edith Koeppl, 88, was hit with a hammer in the latest attack, after being advised to continue life as normal to get over the first.

Police described the hammer attack, which took place at the corner of Barnehurst Avenue and Northumberland Way, as “horrible”.

Mrs Koeppl was walking to her sister's house when the second attack took place.

She said: “I was just terrified. The first attack was upsetting enough but people kept saying, 'At least you weren't badly hurt'. This time the guy pushed me to the floor, pulled out a hammer and said, 'Give me that bag or I'll kill you.'

“I thought he would hit me on the head but then he hit me on the hand till he got the bag.”

She added: “I usually go out for a walk every day but now I'll have to take cabs.”

Mrs Koeppl's sister, Dolly Catchpole, 73, said: “The worst thing will be to see her lose her independence.

“She spent 20 years living in the street where Damilola Taylor was killed and was fine, then she moves to a nice quiet area and this happens.”

Mrs Koeppl is a regular in the Brewers' Arms pub, in Brook Street, where she enjoys a pint of Guinness.

Staff always ensure someone walks her home after a night out.

Landlord Ted Mahoney said: “She's a very lively and popular old lady.

“At 88, to get mugged once is bad enough, but for it to happen twice is frightening.”

PC Graham Oliver of Bexleyheath police said: “This attack was horrible. Handbag thieves have upped the ante by using violence.”

The attacker is described as a white male in his early 20s with short hair.

Anyone with information about incident on September 17 at 2.30pm should call PC Oliver on 020 8284 9248.

Latest blogs and columns