They Didn't See It Coming
She came to wondering what had happened. Had she fainted? Did she have a stroke? Her eyes widened at the thought. She slowly moved, but the pain made her realize that something much worse had happened.
"You have no right to take my money!" she shouted as the rage took over. The adrenaline pumping through her veins helped her to her feet; they never thought she would do what she did next.
Winifred Peel
When looking at 77-year-old Winifred Peel, her wise eyes and wrinkles would make you think she was like any other woman her age. But there was more to her than met the eye.
Now retired, she lived an active lifestyle in a small town near Liverpool. Her activities had slowed down as she grew older, but she enjoyed them just as much as she enjoyed her sports when she was younger.
Questionable-Looking Men
Winifred walked past a group of questionable-looking young men on her way to the cafe. She was looking forward to having a cup of tea and a slice of cake and didn't care much for their arguing.
She was picturing the cake in her mind’s eye and didn't think about the men. She was nearly at the cafe when she realized she needed to draw money, considering they didn't take cars. She wondered where she would find an ATM and began to walk. But she should have paid better attention to the men from before.
Other Footsteps
She had been walking around for several minutes before she spotted an ATM in the distance. She started sifting through her handbag to find her purse.
She was a few steps from the ATM but still had not found her purse. She decided to stop where she was so that she could focus properly, but that's when she heard footsteps that weren't hers.
Something Bad Was Coming
She turned her head slightly to find a woman standing behind her, waiting to use the ATM. She smiled at her and told her she could move on ahead of her.
The woman was grateful and quickly walked to the machine. But Winifred had no idea that the footsteps didn't come from the woman either. Something terrible was coming her way, but she was obliviously searching through her bag.
Finding Her Card
Winifred lived by a particular set of words, and those were: "Treat others how you want to be treated." She believed many others lived the same way and trusted that people had good hearts. But that would soon change.
She was still looking inside her bag when she noticed a set of shadows drawing closer. Once she found her card, she didn't care much for them, and she quickly set off to one of the machines. But she should have been more cautious.
What Happened?
Winfred approached the ATM and did what she needed to do. It was a quick process, but things turned awry as soon as she entered her PIN and pressed "Continue."
She was feeling fine the first second but was dazed and confused the next. What had happened? She struggled to make sense of what was happening, but she knew she was in a dangerous situation and had to defend herself.
Rage
She came to wondering what had happened. Had she fainted? Did she have a stroke? Her eyes widened at the thought. She slowly moved, but the pain made her realize that something much worse had happened.
"You have no right to take my money!" she shouted as the rage took over. The adrenaline pumping through her veins helped her to her feet; they never thought she would do what she did next.
They Had Followed Her
The anger had taken over, and she jumped on one of them. She realized the familiar faces were from the men she had walked past. Her anger multiplied when she realized they had followed her thinking she was an easy target.
She knew they were looking for trouble, and they had proven her right. She would not let them get away with this, but she was not entirely sure what she was up against.
Sports To The Rescue
She reached out for one of the men's heads and used the leverage to shove him into the wall. Winifred used her body weight to pin him there, and the two other men seemed surprised by how calm she looked. As unsettling as it was, they decided to attack.
Winifred was strong for her old age and had her life of sports to thank for that. She was grateful that she was fit enough to handle these men but thought she may have overestimated her capabilities.
Scary Reflection
Six pairs of rough hands tried to seize her, but her right hand shot out and landed on one thief’s face. Panicking, the men freed the thief Winifred had and then sprinted down the road.
Still full of adrenaline, Winifred began to chase them, but then the gravity of the situation finally hit her, and her knees buckled to a halt. “It was only afterward that I realized what I’d done and started shaking,” she said, “what if he’d had a knife? I might not be here today.” But it wasn’t over yet.
Rush to Help
Hearing the fight, people nearby turned the corner to see Winifred looking distressed. Running to her aid, she waved them off, instead insisting they catch the assailants.
While one passerby stayed with her, the other two hurried off around the corner, hoping to catch a glimpse of her attackers before it was too late. And it wasn’t!
Predators
The shameless trio of teenage criminals; Felix Stoica, 19, Piper Dumitru, 18, and Florin Geblescu, 18, were looking for “easy targets” that night but underestimated this old woman's determination not to be taken advantage of.
They had driven to Bromborough from Manchester in search of vulnerable prey to target. But they got a lot more than they bargained for.
Following The Evidence
The chase was short-lived. The good samaritans had been just a touch too late to see where the attackers had run to, but the police weren’t far behind. In her furious counter-attack, Winifred had caused a fair amount of damage.
The wall and floor surrounding the cash machine was marked with evidence from the attack, with a trail leading off around the corner. A trail that could be followed.
Fighting Spirit
For years, Winifred had visited the gym four times a week. As she grew older, her routine became less intensive, yet her persistence ensured she was still in fighting spirit.
On the day of her attack, her muscles took control, using every ounce of strength to defend herself. Unleashing her anger, she ensured that her attackers were brought to justice.
No Escape
It wasn’t long before the police caught the offenders. With a significant wound showing on his head, the man who first pushed Winifred to the ground was tracked down, loitering up the road.
With no plan of escape, his partners were skulking close by. Once rounded up, they were soon taken to court to be taught an unforgettable lesson.
Justice Served
Looking back, Winifred remains shaken by the incident. Had she been less fit, the attack may have ended up much worse. After their arrest, the young men quickly confessed to their horrid attack. The case was quickly brought to court, and each of them were sentenced to time in prison.
The judge derided their shameless actions, accusing them of “casting a shadow” over Winifred’s twilight years. But as Winifred went home that evening, another similar yet very different incident took place in her city.
Loice Perry
This incident occurred the same evening that Winifred's attackers got served their sentences. A sixty-year-old Loice Perry was making her way out of a local grocery store when two burly men appeared from nowhere.
Standing alone in the empty parking lot, Loice froze as she realized she might be in danger. She inched back and held her walking stick firmly. She wasn't going down without a fight.
Living In Liverpool
Loice had been a Liverpool resident all her life. She'd lived through many phases of the city, seeing new trends come and go.
She'd been there when Liverpool went from one of the best places to stay to one of the worst and back to one of the best. She'd seen it all, yet nothing could've prepared her for what happened that evening.
Her Life
Loice was a mom of three lovely boys, each grown with kids and careers. They all lived in different parts of Europe, leaving Loice in Liverpool.
But although her kids were away, Loice's life was far from boring. She had decade-long friends by her side daily, with her husband Kenny to fill any lingering void in her heart. But that evening, she would make one grave mistake.
It Happens
The day that the event occurred was different for Loice. Instead of having her house hand go to the local store to restock groceries, she decided she'd do it alone.
She had been cooped up in the house for almost a week. She wanted to enjoy an evening drive and stroll that would take her to the store and back. She didn't know what a grave mistake she was making.
A Good Evening
After telling her husband where she was off, Loice took her purse, some cash, and car keys. She hopped into her car and drove off.
The afternoon was already leaning onto an early evening, and the bright yellow sun was hueing orange. Loice smiled as she drove, her window down and some of her favorite music playing. If only she knew what she was driving to.
At The Grocery Store
After a few minutes on the road, Loice pulled into the local grocery store's parking lot. After finding a parking spot, she locked her vehicle and hurried into the building.
But as she walked into the store, she noticed something that put her on edge. Two large men were talking loudly in the store, laughing, and causing a scene. Something about them made the hair on Loice's nape stand.
Tattoos And Piercings
Loice didn't pay the men much attention after the initial shock of seeing them. Yes, they were large, with scores of tattoos marking their skin and piercings all over their faces.
But Loice couldn't judge them, given she had a few tattoos from back in the day. Her husband also had some piercings, although he didn't wear any jewelry anymore. Loice should've been more vigilant.
Filling Her Cart
Putting the men behind her, she fell into doing her shopping. She took the biggest shopping cart and hurried to fill it.
With everything memorized, Loice was quick to fill her cart. She pushed everything to the checkout, and the cashier rang her up. But as she was making her way out of the store, hands full of grocery bags, she noticed something that made her brows furrow.
Agony
Something within Loice's chest pinged, sending a wave of pain all over her body. She almost dropped her groceries and had to support herself on the store's wall.
She took a deep breath, not understanding what was happening. After a quick breather, she started toward her car. She didn't know she'd be leaving the parking lot in an ambulance.
An Empty Parking Lot
Loice was halfway through the now-empty parking lot when she saw one of the rowdy men sitting on the tarmac as if waiting for her. She swallowed a lump of air, straightening her back to look unafraid.
But as she took her next step, the pain shot through her again, this time shooting down to her feet. She held her walking stick firmly, but her knees buckled. Loice lost her balance.
What Is Happening?
Loice wasn't sure what was happening. She didn't know if someone had attacked her or if her body was failing her. She'd never had such complications before despite her age.
The only logical explanation would be that someone had attacked her from behind. But as she fell, something happened that changed her view on the matter.
Coming To Help
Footsteps rang behind Loice as hands reached for her. She expected to hit the ground but floated in the air as someone held her in place.
"Ma'am?" the person called. It was one of the men she'd seen in the store. His friend, who was walking toward Loice, came over to her. Both men were alarmed. What was happening?
A Lucky Woman
The men called an ambulance for Loice and even accompanied her to the emergency room. One called her family, while the other took her groceries to her house.
After a few tests, Loice's doctor shared that she'd had a mild heart attack. Of course, he placed Loice on a healing path. She didn't know what she'd do if those men didn't save her in time.
Disclaimer: To protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual events, places, or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.