Detectives now treating brutal robbery of 80-year-old Rotherham man as possible murder

Police investigating the death of a pensioner five months after he was beaten in his home by robbers say they are now treating it as a murder investigation.
Tommy Ward.Tommy Ward.
Tommy Ward.

South Yorkshire Police officers were called to the home of 80-year-old Tommy Ward in Salisbury Road, Maltby, on the morning of Thursday October 1 where he had sustained serious injuries from a violent assault.

Around £30,000 was reportedly taken from his home along with a safety deposit box.

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The pensioner was immediately taken to hospital where he remained in a critical condition for a number of months. He was released from hospital and was receiving care at home, before being readmitted and passing away on Tuesday February 23.

Detective Inspector Richard Partridge, from South Yorkshire Police, has revealed that a post-mortem examination of Mr Ward’s body was inconclusive, so further tests are being done to establish the exact cause of his death.

He said: “Tommy did not deserve this and his family have the right to know why their much loved father, grandfather, uncle, brother, was brutally attacked in his own home.

“Someone knows what happened that night in October. I would ask that person to consider how they would feel if this had happened to a member of their family.”

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Det Insp Partridge continued: “Whoever is responsible for such a vicious attack on a vulnerable man does not deserve to be shielded by anyone, and I would again ask, even if you feel your information is not that significant, please, make contact with us as the smallest detail could be vital to our investigation.”

Two weeks after Mr Ward was attacked, a deposit box, similar to the one stolen from his home, was recovered in the Kilnhurst area of Rotherham.

Five people have been arrested in connection with the incident and have since been released.

Det Insp Partridge added: “While we may have made arrests, the investigation is still incredibly active and very much ongoing as we continue to follow up leads and conduct extensive enquiries, and I would encourage anyone, even with the slightest piece of information, to please get in touch with us.”

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Anyone with information is urged to call police on 101 or email [email protected], quoting incident number 408 of October 1 2015.

Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.