Woman's bag stolen as she fought to save Brighton crash man's life

12:40pm Friday 21st September 2012 in News By Anna Roberts, Crime reporter

Police at the scene in Bear Road, Brighton, yesterday Police at the scene in Bear Road, Brighton, yesterday

A thief stole a handbag from a woman as she valiantly battled to save the life of a man who was dying in the road.

The offender has been condemned as ‘sick’ following the incident in Bear Road, Brighton, yesterday afternoon (September 20).

Tragically the man, who crashed his van into a road sign at the junction of Newmarket Terrace, died.

The man, in his 60s and from Sussex, was with a passenger, believed to be his son, when the incident happened.

Police confirmed that a woman driver, who had come to the aid of the man after he collapsed, had her handbag stolen.

It was later found thrown over a nearby fence into a garden with her wallet was missing.

Locals said they believed the woman had been attempting to resuscitate the man when her handbag was pilfered from her van, parked close by.

One paramedic at the scene said: “It is absolutely disgusting.”

A police spokeswoman added: “It really is despicable.”

Mayor Bill Randall added: “It is outrageous. It really reaches the depths of bad behaviour.

“To know that people behave like that in our city is horrible although I don’t think it is typical of Brighton and Hove.

“It beggars belief.

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“I feel very sorry for the woman as she was acting as a Good Samaritan and she was treated in such a callous way.

“I hope this won’t discourage other people from looking out for their neighbours – I don’t think it will.

“It takes your breath away.”

'Lowlife'

Davie McKay, of Grove Street, Hanover, who was painting a house in Bear Road when the collision happened, said: “The person that stole the handbag is a lowlife.

“He is like something on the bottom of my shoe.

“I really feel for the man who died and his family.”

Colin Deans, who runs a newsagents’ in Bear Road, said he understood that the man suffered a heart attack at the wheel.

He said he went outside and saw a woman screaming.

Offering his sympathies to the deceased man’s family, he said: “It is a terrible thing to happen.”

He added: “For someone to take a woman’s handbag who was trying to help it makes it worse.”

John Stringer, who works in Bear Road, added: “I heard that a woman who had stopped to help him had her handbag taken, that was what people were saying.”

Councillor Anne Meadows , who represents the Moulsecoomb and Bevendean ward, of which Bear Road is on the border, said: “This is a disgraceful thing to have happened.

“I fear it is symptomatic of our society and I feel for the woman who was working so hard to save this man’s life.

“The thief clearly had no sympathy to the man, the woman who was trying to save him or his family.

“It is a callous thing to do and I hope her property is recovered.

“My sympathies are with her and the victim’s family.”

'Appalling theft'

Simon Kirby MP, whose Brighton Kemptown ward includes Bear Road, said: “This is a shocking and appalling theft.

“My thoughts go out to the family and friends of the deceased and also to the heroic lady who tried to resuscitate him only for this to happen.

“Her bravery and humanity are in stark contrast to the coward who stole her bag.

“I would call on anyone with any information to contact the police.”

The victim’s family were at the scene but were too devastated too speak.

Police cordoned off the road following the tragedy at 1.25pm.

A Sussex Police spokeswoman said: “Police are appealing for witnesses to a fatal collision in Bear Road, Brighton.

“A large blue van collided with a road sign.

“A wallet was stolen from the bag of the woman who went to help at the scene. The bag was found dumped in a nearby garden minus the wallet. ”

Anyone who saw the collision is asked to call Sussex Police on 101 quoting Operation Pleat.

Comments(40)

sdhgfhfuyt says...
12:49pm Fri 21 Sep 12

horrific and tragic

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Maxwell's Ghost says...
12:52pm Fri 21 Sep 12

What sort of disgusting animal steals from a good samaritan trying to save someone's life.
You have to be the ultimate low life to do that and someone must have seen someone at that time of day as Bear Road is pretty quiet for pedestrians.
Perhaps the Argus can let us know if the lady has lost anything valuable as I am sure people would chip in.

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Anna Roberts says...
1:14pm Fri 21 Sep 12

Hi
We asked what she had lost and was told it was a wallet, so I guess cards and possibly cash.
It is dreadful.
Anna

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gmgc81 says...
1:24pm Fri 21 Sep 12

What a vile scumbag. I hope they find him and give him the strongest sentence possible. The fact this animal (because that is not human behaviour) stole as this good samaritan was trying to help save someone is double wrong as he could've done something to help the dying man too. Disgraceful.

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Goldenwight says...
1:24pm Fri 21 Sep 12

Sorry, but are we sure that the thief actually knew he/she was stealing the handbag of a woman who was busy trying to save a life? Quite possibly they did, but may just have been passing and spotted an opportunity.

Not that this would make the crime any less despicable- stealing another person's personal belongings is not acceptable behaviour.

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gnarlychaos says...
1:36pm Fri 21 Sep 12

opportunity or not, this is the sort of incident which makes me realise just how far our so called civilised society has disintergrated. call them what you like. i know what i,d like to do to this scumbag. But lets not forget how outnumbered this **** was by the number of people who stopped to help.

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Hoarder12345444 says...
2:03pm Fri 21 Sep 12

Maxwell's Ghost wrote:
What sort of disgusting animal steals from a good samaritan trying to save someone's life. You have to be the ultimate low life to do that and someone must have seen someone at that time of day as Bear Road is pretty quiet for pedestrians. Perhaps the Argus can let us know if the lady has lost anything valuable as I am sure people would chip in.
Druggie probably. Absolutely vile behaviour

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Dirk Von Roden says...
2:04pm Fri 21 Sep 12

my condolences to the poor chaps family and friends! and the lowlife who stole from the Lady "You will be caught"! what goes around comes around!!

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StyleCop says...
2:04pm Fri 21 Sep 12

What an absolute See You Next Tuesday.

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Crystal Ball says...
2:07pm Fri 21 Sep 12

This abhorrent low-life deserves to have their face set on fire and put out with a cricket bat. Twice.

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OldSchoolYoungster says...
2:44pm Fri 21 Sep 12

I hope this scumbag bag is caught and given the firing squad treatment!

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minnie&teddy says...
2:47pm Fri 21 Sep 12

there are many names for this type of person but i won't use them here! i'm really sorry about the poor man who died, sadly there ARE many of these evil waste of space types in Brghton regardless of what other people say and the kind lady who tried to help was punished for her careing heart,i hope this sick scumbag might need help atsometime and i just hope nobody rushes to his aid.thoughts are with
the poor mans family.

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minnie&teddy says...
2:47pm Fri 21 Sep 12

there are many names for this type of person but i won't use them here! i'm really sorry about the poor man who died, sadly there ARE many of these evil waste of space types in Brghton regardless of what other people say and the kind lady who tried to help was punished for her careing heart,i hope this sick scumbag might need help atsometime and i just hope nobody rushes to his aid.thoughts are with
the poor mans family.

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Flippin Burghers says...
3:07pm Fri 21 Sep 12

Cold front.

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UglyAmerican says...
3:32pm Fri 21 Sep 12

Crystal Ball wrote:
This abhorrent low-life deserves to have their face set on fire and put out with a cricket bat. Twice.
Congratulations, you win the internet for today.

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Carlas mum says...
3:46pm Fri 21 Sep 12

Please don't call this THING an animal, they are far lower down the chain than that.

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MuammarQaddafi says...
4:08pm Fri 21 Sep 12

Completely un-Islamic behaviour. Back in my country people who engaged in this sort of thing had a maximum of two chances, unless they learnt to be unusually dexterous with their toes.

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sussexram40 says...
4:20pm Fri 21 Sep 12

I notice 2 posters refer to the thief as a 'he' but cant see any reference to that in the article.

Do we know it's a man or is this just stereotyping. Far as I know, women steal things as well as men.

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Old Ladys Gin says...
5:20pm Fri 21 Sep 12

sussexram40 wrote:
I notice 2 posters refer to the thief as a 'he' but cant see any reference to that in the article.

Do we know it's a man or is this just stereotyping. Far as I know, women steal things as well as men.
Well said.

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pebble counter says...
5:30pm Fri 21 Sep 12

What a scumbag.

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Devils Advocate 2 says...
5:54pm Fri 21 Sep 12

Evil little scroats.... they patrol the town like weasels and / or magpies, constantly on the lookout to thieve what ever comes to their villainous hands.

One does feel rather inclined to set them up with just such an 'opportunity' and then, when you catch them in the act, beat the living crap out of them whilst making your citizens arrest - perchance to dream, eh?! ;)

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true-brightonian says...
7:13pm Fri 21 Sep 12

The post-Olympic spirit is is here to stay. Thanks to the Olympics our country has truly changed. Long live her majesty and her loyal subjects. Long live the Olympic flame!

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NickBtn says...
7:38pm Fri 21 Sep 12

I hope that the police give this crime a high priority. Hopefully there is forensic evidence on the recovered wallet or in the victim's car.....

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gusset snatcher says...
8:20pm Fri 21 Sep 12

Don't be too harsh on him/her. They must've been desperate for the money, probably an asylum seeker or homeless immigrant unable to claim benefits and needing the money to feed his/her starving children, you'd have done exactly the same in his/her shoes. The victim can easily cancel her cards and probably small change in her purse. At the end of the day no one''s hurt, that's the main thing.

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Ballroom Blitz says...
8:52pm Fri 21 Sep 12

See you n tees.

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hubby says...
9:21pm Fri 21 Sep 12

Nice place Brighton.
More than likely a junkie.
He/she would have known exactly what they were doing.
Low!

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wole says...
9:30pm Fri 21 Sep 12

Gusset Snatcher has obviously just came back from the pub with a vile comment like that.
The person that done this act is pure and utter scum and deserves to have their fingers cut off one by one. I take it you have never had anything stolen from you??
Let us not forget about the poor man in these comments too!

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pte says...
10:44pm Fri 21 Sep 12

The first aider will feel hurt they could not save the man that died. Having her purse stolen will double that hurt.

The theft will also double the hurt of the relatives of the man that died

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Thatsjustyummy says...
10:47pm Fri 21 Sep 12

Welcome to Brighton 2012.

Vile pit of filth.

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Vigilia says...
11:29pm Fri 21 Sep 12

Par for the course in Skid Row-on-Sea

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angrymonkey says...
8:03am Sat 22 Sep 12

lets hope if they ill in the street every one walks past leaves them to die . well done to the lady trying to help the man nice to see still some good people out there

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Morpheus says...
9:37am Sat 22 Sep 12

Why the outrage? Isn't all theft opportunistic? Thieves don't care about any of their victims.

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Dr.Draconian says...
10:51am Sat 22 Sep 12

gusset snatcher wrote:
Don't be too harsh on him/her. They must've been desperate for the money, probably an asylum seeker or homeless immigrant unable to claim benefits and needing the money to feed his/her starving children, you'd have done exactly the same in his/her shoes. The victim can easily cancel her cards and probably small change in her purse. At the end of the day no one''s hurt, that's the main thing.
Couldn't agree more, no one knows the personal circumstances of the alleged offender. I'm sure they wouldn't have done it if the Govt. had provided the support everyone deserves.

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george smith says...
10:55am Sat 22 Sep 12

Probably nicked quite a bit more since this incident. What will they get if and it is unlikely they get caught and taken to court, community service where they will do the task as slowly and badly as possible. We are going to hell in a hand cart

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Herbert Perkins says...
12:29pm Sat 22 Sep 12

set their face on fire? cut their fingers off? beat them to within an inch of their lives?cut off their hands?leave them to die?. witness the impotent rage of the weak and self righteous.call yourselves civilized?

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Angie Wright says...
12:51pm Sat 22 Sep 12

It is sad the man died under such circumstances and lucky no one else was injured. My thoughts go to his family and to the woman trying to help who had her purse and contents stolen.It is a pity that people will now stop to get their purse and lock their car, wasting valuable minutes, in order to help another person. Theft is wrong whatever the circumstances but I wish those who want to insult others would not call them animals or magpies. Try using an inanimate word like scum. Some animals take items for food not understanding the concept of human ownership. It is humans who steal knowing it belongs to someone else. While some people may be in desperate need, many (the super rich with their tax havens ) have no such excuse. Let's condemn the haves not the havenots. We do not know why the thief felt he needed to do that. Let's hope he is caught and given help to find a job (if their are any!!!!!!!!!) Now if the super rich paid their taxes as the rest of us have to.......or maybe they could create more jobs with their millions.....perhaps we should stop looking up to these wealthy "thieves" and see them for the greedy scum they are before we start insulting those with nothing who see the rich flaunting it.

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ASBO academy inmate 2291D says...
3:17pm Sat 22 Sep 12

The sooner this despicable scumbag is caught and given a proper punishment / holiday the better.

No court costs should be spared when making excuses for such scumbags and giving them yet another jolly good warning.

Without punishment that instills fear how will any of these scumbags see the point in stopping? It really is just fun and easy money to them.

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monkeymoo says...
11:21am Sun 23 Sep 12

Did anyone witness the event of the theft?

Just to be "devils advocate", we are only taking the woman's word that she had a handbag in the first place!

Well done to her for trying to help anyway.. My hat off to you.

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MuammarQaddafi says...
2:33pm Sun 23 Sep 12

monkeymoo wrote:
Did anyone witness the event of the theft?

Just to be "devils advocate", we are only taking the woman's word that she had a handbag in the first place!

Well done to her for trying to help anyway.. My hat off to you.
Go back and read the story. It's not too late for that, even if it is too late for you not to look foolish.

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twinglemum says...
8:38pm Sun 23 Sep 12

Why are people surprised that this is happening in our city, have a look around at the sort of people that have flocked to Brighton in the last few years. The city appears to offer a free and easy ride for people that do not wish to contribute anything to society but just want to take.

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