Sheffield woman distraught after car used to take disabled husband to appointments stolen during break-in

A Sheffield woman has been left feeling helpless after her car used to take her disabled husband to almost daily medical appointments was stolen following a break-in last week.

In March last year, Christopher Fawley, aged 64, suffered a major stroke which caused him to lose the use of his right-side and his speech. He has since required his wife Karen to drive him to a number of medical appointments each week across the city. But a recent break-in at their home on Kingswood Close in Owlthorpe has seen their lifeline car stolen by callous thieves.

On Wednesday July 19, Karen’s 61st birthday, she was woken up at around 3.45am by the sound of her two Shetland sheepdogs alarm barking. “They both ran downstairs and I knew something wasn’t right,” she said.

With her husband’s disability, Karen had no choice but to go downstairs alone. She then saw the headlights of her car beaming outside, but by the time she got to the front door, her Mini Countryman was gone.

Right away Karen saw the single barrel lock on the door had been snapped. The police arrived at the house within 15 minutes of being called and began enquiries which South Yorkshire Police confirmed are continuing at this time.

The following morning of the break-in, Karen said she spent a couple of hours speaking to her neighbours and getting hold of CCTV. It was only then that she found out there had been a number of other cars stolen.

She said: “What are the police doing? I’ve lived here for 37 years and I’ve never known anything like this. Everybody needs to know about it, everyone needs to get on board and create a big Neighbourhood Watch.

“I know that the police are understaffed, but my circumstances are real too. I’ve been left without a car and my husband had a severe stroke at 62 in March 2022. I use our car to take him to and from rehab appointments, stroke association meetings and speech and language therapy.

“Now because I didn't tick a certain box on my AA insurance policy, we are only covered for a courtesy car if they find ours and it needs repairs. I don't think it can get any worse. Nobody wants to help you these days.”

Sergeant Samantha Hallam for the Sheffield South East Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “Having somebody enter your home is understandably harrowing for any victim. People should always feel safe in their homes. Any intrusion can affect that, and we strive to be committed to provide an excellent, victim-led service that can restore that feeling.

“We offer advice proactively for people to use to keep both their homes and vehicles protected, and there is prevention work that we regularly put in too to help safeguard residents within the communities we serve.

“With the use of analysts we have been proactively increasing our patrols, as well as our use of preventative and enforcement tactics, to protect potential victims of this crime type and reassure residents.

“We also always issue the plea to encourage the public to report any incidents of these crime types to us, along with any information that may assist us in identifying those who commit these awful offences.”

A spokesman for AA Insurance Services, said: “The customer purchased a policy which clearly states in the policy documents that a courtesy car is only provided when the vehicle is undergoing repairs following a claim."