A 50-year-old Dundee woman has been left “absolutely shattered” after being attacked and robbed by a gang of teenagers.
The womanwho asked not to be identified for fear of reprisalswas thrown against a wall before having a necklace of great sentimental value ripped from her neck during the terrifying onslaught on Friday.
Police are treating the attack so seriously it has been passed to detectives to investigate.
“I’m absolutely shattered,” she said. “I’m worried about going out now.
“I think they were just looking for anything from anybody and it was unfortunate I was there at the time.”
The shocking attack happened outside a tenement in Dee Place, near Gowriehill Primary School, around 6pm on Friday.
The woman was walking her two dogs when five males aged 14-16 approached her from the direction of South Road.
She heard a shout of, “Get her,” and was pushed into the wall of the block, smashing her glasses and watch.
She ended up on the ground tangled up in the dog leads while the thugs demanded her mobile phone.
They then assaulted her and ripped a chain from her neck.
The antique gold link chain has a pendant with the Star of David shaped with five ruby stones in it.
She suffered scratches and bruising to her face and neck.
Reliving her terrifying ordeal, she said, “I went out with my two dogs around 6pm.Badly shaken”I was aware of youths shouting and swearing.
“They hang about every night in the playpark on South Road, just up from Tesco.
“There’s a patch of grass between South Road and Dee Place and they came through a hole in the fence.
“All I heard was, ‘Get her!’
“Next thing I knew they grabbed me. I tried to fight them off but I was thrown down.
“I hit the wall at the side of the building. My glasses were smashed and my good watch was smashed.”
“The two leads got tangled around me. They asked me for my phone but I said I didn’t have one.
“I started screaming, ‘Somebody help me.’ I just wanted out of there.
“They ripped the chain off my neck and ran off.”
The woman said the chain was extremely sentimental to her as it had belonged to someone close to her who had died recently.
She said she has been searching the area looking for it, but to no avail.
“You just don’t think it’s going to happen to you,” she said. “I’m really shaken up by it.”
Detective Constable Dean Miller said, “It was an unprovoked attack and we’re appealing for as many witness to come forward as possible.
“We will be reviewing CCTV in the hope of identifying these males.
“It is a very random attack and that’s why we are so concerned and why it’s been passed on to CID because of the random nature of the attack and the injuries sustained by the 50-year-old female.
“The woman was left very badly shaken and she’s still in a bit of a state.
“In the immediate term she has been worried about walking her dogs.
“I think family members are trying to support her at this time and trying not to let it have too much of an effect on her lifestyle.”
Anyone with information can contact the police on 0300 111 2222, or speak to any police officer.