Peter Gouldstone, 98, lies in a hospital bed with two bleeds on the brain after thugs broke into his house in Enfield, north London and ...
A decorated Second World War veteran, 98, is in hospital with life-threatening injuries after a "brutal and senseless" attack in his own home.
Peter Gouldstone, is thought to have been robbed on November 5, and it might have been up to 20 hours before anyone was alerted to his plight.
He served in the Royal Corps of Signals during the Second World War, achieving the rank of Corporal and was recognised for "gallant and distinguished service".
Police believe Mr Gouldstone may have been dragged through his house in Evesham Road in Enfield, north London. He has two bleeds on the brain.
Mr Gouldstone's son Simon - a retired civil servant who worked at the Central Arbitration Committee - travelled from Barnet after getting a call from a neighbour.
He said: "I have keys to the front door and walked into the house and smelt a rat because the house was very cold. I shouted out, went upstairs and there he was on the floor.
"He was obviously bruised and was groaning a bit. Semi conscious but breathing. It’s absolutely appalling. He was very independent. He was very capable. For his age, everybody thought he was doing very well. Far from sedentary. It’s a horrible incident.
"I have seen him in hospital. He was sedated so wasn’t able to communicate. His condition I understand is stable. It’ll probably take a few days to find out where we are going with this."
His father was working for the Post Office as an engineer when war was declared, and was sent to Italy to fix telephone lines in 1944.
Officers from the Metropolitan Police believe there was a disturbance at the address and said personal items and a 26-inch Panasonic television were missing. Similar models to the one stolen are available online from as little as £25.
Detective Inspector Paul Ridley said at a briefing on Wednesday: “He has bruising on his arm which would indicate he was dragged through the premises.
"He is in the neurological unit at an East London Hospital and has two bleeds on the brain. His condition is critical.
"His injuries are extremely serious. We believe they broke into the rear of the premises. It’s difficult to say at this stage how many people are involved. It’s incredibly callous.”
Tuesday evening DI Ridley said: "This was a brutal and senseless attack on a vulnerable pensioner in his own home. The level of violence used was completely excessive.
"From our inquiries we have established that the victim was spoken to by a family member on the telephone on Monday 5 November at 2pm and had not raised any concerns.
"We are therefore confident the attack has taken place in the 20-hour window between then, possibly Bonfire Night, to when he was discovered.
"I would urge any members of the public that may have seen any persons acting suspiciously in the vicinity of Evesham Road, Enfield, N11, to come forward to my investigation team as a priority."
Talking of his father, Mr Gouldstone said he is a "gentle" person and a "supportive" parent.
"He’d be staggered if he realised this sort of thing could happen," he added. "I don’t know how they can live with themselves."
“There was obviously something wrong because the back door was open. The whole house was in a hell of a mess. Drawers and cupboards open. He had bruises on his face and forearms.
"I dialled 999 and I’m pleased to say paramedics turned up in a couple of minutes. I’m not sure how the people that did this can live with their consciences."
Mr Gouldstone and had lived in the property for at least 50 years according to one neighbour.
“I always used to say hello to him when he came out of his house to go shopping with his son,” said Pio Gomez, 78, who lives opposite.
“It’s worrying. I hope the police can catch them. It’s callous. Who could have done this to an old man like him. He’s 98.”
This is just the latest robbery in a string of thefts in the area.
Mr Gomez, who lives opposite Mr Gouldstone said: “One of the neighbours nearby was burgled a couple of years ago. He then put in an alarm system because he didn’t feel safe.
“Just this summer there was a van parked outside my house and two young men arrived in a car, stole the spare wheel from underneath and drove off. It all happened so quickly.”
Another close neighbour who moved to the street six years ago remarked how she was surprised at the level of crime.
“When we first arrived there were a lot of burglaries on the street, which was a bit of a shock,” she said. I thought it had quietened down.”
With the capital gripped in a surge of violent crime, a teenager, 17, is also fighting for his life after being found with multiple knife injuries in the West Hampstead area of north London on Tuesday night.
And in Hammersmith on Wednesday afternoon, another boy believed to be in his late teens was rushed to hospital with what police described as a "life-threatening" stab wound.
This week, the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan conceded it could take a decade to get the current wave of knife crime in the capital under control.
He was speaking after the murder rate in London rose to 118 this year with four deaths in five days. Since then, another young man has died, making it five deaths in seven days.
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