A stroke victim watched in helpless horror as a brazen crook walked into his house and stole his television while he was watching it.
Terry Small, 56, who is partially paralysed, could only look on as the intruder snatched one of his few sources of enjoyment from his Dundee flat.
The thief also stole Terry’s iPad and mobile phone in the raid.
Still trembling with shock at thememory of the incident, the former ambulancetechnician told The Courier: “I still can’t believe it happened.I was sitting watching television about 5pm on Tuesday when I heard my front door open.I was expecting my nephew to come with my groceries, but instead this young man came into my living room.
“I said to him ‘Excuse me mate, I’ve never seen you before in my life. What are you doing in my house?’He replied ‘I’m here for that’ and he switched off and unplugged my television and lifted it off the table with my iPad and mobile and walked straight out the door.
“I can’t get out of my seat quickly because of my stroke and I walk with a stick, but I really couldn’t move with fear. I asked myself if this has really happened and a thief has just come in as cool as you like to steal my television while I was watching it.”
Terry, who suffered a strokethree years ago and is paralysed down his left side, thinks the intruder had been watching his home on Provost Road before picking his moment to strike.
“I keep my front door locked unless I am expecting visitors, and I left it unlocked on Tuesday for my nephew to come,” he explained.“I wonder if the thief knew my door would be unlocked and just chose that moment.”
Terry was eventually able to call his sister Jenny Small to tell her of his frightening ordeal and she rushed to his house to comfort him.
She stayed with him for most of the evening and was again there on Wednesday to help him come to terms with the traumatic episode.
“This was a terrible thing to happen,” she said. “How can anyone be so cruel as to commit a crime like this?
“Terry doesn’t get out and the TV helps him to pass the time at home. How can someone to steal this from him?”
Terry described the intruder as being in his late 20s with dark hair and was very thin.
Police Scotland said they were following positive lines of inquiry after the sneak-in theft which happened at 5pm on Tuesday at Provost Road.
The 40-inch flat screen stolen was a LG model. A relative has lent him a portable TV until he can replace the property taken by the thief.
Anyone with any information on the incident should contact Police Scotland, Tayside Division on 101, or any police officer.
Alternatively information can be passed anonymously via the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.