An elderly Dundee woman died just hours after her home was broken into and her devastated son says he blames the intruder for her death.
Isabella Ewen (75) was the victim of a sneak-in theft at her home on Kirkconnel Terrace in Whitfield overnight on Sunday. The episode traumatised the great-grandmother, who had long-standing health problems, and on Monday afternoon she collapsed and died.
Son George Ewen (54) said the family drove to the Whitfield house Isabella’s home for 41 years on Monday morning because she sounded anxious after the break-in, and later called paramedics.
”They gave her oxygen and tried to calm her down but she progressively got worse,” said George. ”I blame him, the burglar, for the death of my mother. It was the main factor in why she died, as far as I am concerned.
“When I went to see her in the house after it happened she was very upset. She said to me it is not the fact that he has stolen money, it is that he has been in here in my house.”
His daughter Jodie (20) added: ”When we saw her on Monday morning she was really very anxious and was not her normal self. She was upset at what had happened with someone breaking into her home
”The person who did this maybe thinks all he did was steal her purse with some money and a cigarette pouch but he did much more than that.”
Isabella collapsed in her living-room on Monday afternoon after getting up to take her medication. The alarm was raised and police and ambulance staff raced to the scene.
Despite the efforts of paramedics, she was pronounced dead a short time later.
Police confirmed officers had attended Mrs Ewen’s address on Monday morning following the overnight sneak-in theft which happened between 10.30pm on Sunday and 6.50am on Monday. A purse containing a small sum of money and a black leather cigarette pouch were stolen.
Police said initial inquiries were carried out at the scene and Mrs Ewen was spoken to before officers left her in the care of family members.
A spokesman added: ”Clearly these are a tragic set of circumstances and our thoughts are with the family at this time. Inquiries into the theft from the address are continuing and we would appeal to anyone who was in the area and who saw or heard anything suspicious to call Tayside Police on 0300 111 2222.”
Information can also be passed anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Isabella better known as Bell and her husband George, who died in 1999, were the only occupants of the Kirkconnel Terrace house, moving in when it was built 41 years ago from their previous home in Fintry.
As well as raising a family, Bell worked in the jute mills for Timex before finishing as a home help with the local authority.
Unfortunately the break-in was not the first she has suffered. Exactly 23 years ago someone broke in to the house and stole baby clothes that she had bought for her then new-born grandson Kyle.
George said that episode upset her but his mother was a younger woman then and could cope better with what happened.
The intruder 23 years ago was caught, and George hopes the same fate awaits the person who broke into his mother’s home at the weekend.
He added: ”There is somebody out there who knows who did this and I would say to them ‘I hope you can live with yourself’.”
George’s wife Maureen (53) added: ”She was very independent and house proud. This could have been your own mum, grandma, sister, or aunt.”
Bell had eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Bell’s daughter Carol (56), of Fleming Gardens, and son Les (52), who stays in Aberdeen, are also distraught.
Carol said: ”I can’t believe my mum is away. I’m on my own now.”