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Disabled boy's father nearly run over by thief

8:00am Thursday 9th February 2012 in News Photograph of the Author By Mark Tallentire

FAMILY STRANDED: Henry and Ceri Hall with children Euan, Seraphina and Ethan FAMILY STRANDED: Henry and Ceri Hall with children Euan, Seraphina and Ethan

A FATHER had to jump for his life to avoid being run over by a thief who stole his car, needed to help his disabled son.

Henry Hall’s Nissan Qashqai, a mobility car provided for his disabled fiveyear- old son, Euan, was stolen from his drive, in Salisbury Road, Newton Hall, Durham City, on Monday morning.

The thief took the sevenseater, which contained Euan’s adapted wheelchair, while Mr Hall was readying his other children for school.

The self-employed painter and decorator had left the car running for a few seconds after de-icing it.

Realising what had happened, Mr Hall ran along a shortcut and headed off the thief, but had to leap to safety when the thief refused to stop.

Last night, Mr Hall’s wife, Ceri Hall, said: “The children were all crying. They were all very upset.

“But it could have been a lot worse. Henry knew he was not going to stop.

“This guy is a scumbag. It’s despicable that someone could do something like this.”

Euan has cerebral palsy and autism, having suffered a brain haemorrhage 24 hours after birth. He is unable to talk and can walk only short distances.

His taxi had left for Evergreen special school, in Bishop Auckland, only minutes before Monday’s incident, which happened at about 8.20am, while Mr and Mrs Hall were preparing his identical twin brother Ethan and sister Seraphina, seven, for school.

Mrs Hall, a housewife and mother-of-five, said: “It has been really hard for us. We had planned all sorts of things for Euan for half-term next week.

“But we cannot do them without the car and wheelchair.

Half-term is on hold.”

The purple car, which had silver ladders strapped to the roof bars, was last seen heading towards Canterbury Road. The family had used it for two-and-a-half years, from new.

The thief was white, in his 20s, stocky, with dark, cropped hair.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800-555-111.

Comments(18)

Daza says...
9:11am Thu 9 Feb 12

When ell these people EVER learn.

It's quite simple, Don't leave your keys in the ignition and then leave your car!

You are simply ASKING for it to be stolen.

There are too many scumbags about ad well as stupid car owners!

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Daza says...
9:12am Thu 9 Feb 12

Daza wrote:
When ell these people EVER learn.

It's quite simple, Don't leave your keys in the ignition and then leave your car!

You are simply ASKING for it to be stolen.

There are too many scumbags about ad well as stupid car owners!
Typing errors!

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Hunty1 says...
9:30am Thu 9 Feb 12

To be fair Daza, good honest people do not "ask for trouble" they are simply victims of not living like scumbags themselves, they've learned the hard way already, they've had a child that was a victim of a terrible illness at birth, they have had to cope with life changing experiences for the whole family, their daily life is complicated in many ways that people like you or I could never understand.

I myself have to defrost my car on a morning, our weather is extreme currently and I'm dammed if I am going to stand and watch it thaw!

Sympathy would be more welcomed I'm sure...

Crime is only going to get worse I'm affraid..

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stevegg says...
11:09am Thu 9 Feb 12

Whilst sympathising with the family I have to agree with Daza. You just cannot leave cars running unattended in this day and age and act with incredulity when they are stolen. These opportunist thieves are on the prowell on freezing mornings as they know there is always someone who will do this. The police then have to conduct a time consuming investigation which is due to negligence on the owners part but worst of all the insurance company will not pay out! Guaruntee this wont be the last time there is a story like this in the news, people always think it happens to someone else.

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Daza says...
11:14am Thu 9 Feb 12

Hunty1 wrote:
To be fair Daza, good honest people do not "ask for trouble" they are simply victims of not living like scumbags themselves, they've learned the hard way already, they've had a child that was a victim of a terrible illness at birth, they have had to cope with life changing experiences for the whole family, their daily life is complicated in many ways that people like you or I could never understand.

I myself have to defrost my car on a morning, our weather is extreme currently and I'm dammed if I am going to stand and watch it thaw!

Sympathy would be more welcomed I'm sure...

Crime is only going to get worse I'm affraid..
Explain that to your insurance company if you are ''Damned if I am going to stand and watch it thaw'

Absolutely stupid comment.

As said above, there is lots of scum looking about for cars defrosting on cold mornings.

Would you leave you front door wide open when you go to bed at night?

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robbiejay says...
12:03pm Thu 9 Feb 12

I cannot believe that people are still foolish enough to leave their cars running and go back inside the house. Utter stupidity, especially when it is so important for him and his family. I don't suppose it matters though, I imagine he will be provided with a new mobility car pretty quickly. I paid £20k for my new car so I tend to sit in it once I've scraped the ice off the windows with a good old-fashioned ice scraper.

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foss says...
3:08pm Thu 9 Feb 12

I agree with the majority on here. No, it's not right that we can't leave our cars or houses unlocked BUT we all know the risks if we do so most of us make sure that we DON'T leave them unlocked for that reason. Of course it's unfortunate that in this case it was a car that the family rely on but I doubt they were targeted, it was probably a coincidence and to be honest although I don't have a disabled child, I'd be just as inconvenienced without my car - the bus service here is dire and I'd struggle to get to work. Hence why I keep my car locked or stay inside when defrosting it!

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Nicked says...
4:17pm Thu 9 Feb 12

It is a sad state of affairs that we can't leave our homes doors unlocked, or defrost our cars leaving them unattended like this chap. But, this type of crime is seen every year when the weather gets bad and yet people don't learn!!

There are devices available that let your engine run without the keys in, once the handbrake is released the engine will stall.......worth the money? I should say so!!

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joedarlo45 says...
5:02pm Thu 9 Feb 12

While I have sympathy for the car being stolen, as more than a few of us have left vehicles outside running and unattended...I did note that the father( a decorator) had 2 ladders on the roof, so did that mean the car was used for his business?? Is that seriously what mobility cars are intended for!!!

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Dance04 says...
6:22pm Thu 9 Feb 12

alright lets get this story straight before any of you start with shouting the odds. being on mobilty insurance does NOT mean you get a car straight away, you have to wait 21 days before they will do anything so for 21 days the family is without a car. I can bet non of you can truly say you've never left the car to quickly run in the house and i can bet non of you have a disabled son that needs that car to get about with. Please don't go round saying well they could of done this and not of done that. Yes the car had two ladders for a job but its the only car they own as a family. It is a truly horrible thing and i hope it doesnt happen to anyone else.

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Bemused or bewildered says...
8:54pm Thu 9 Feb 12

I will admit I have left the car running outside of my house, but I picked up that this family get a mobility car to help with their son, which to them is a big help, but why on earth then does a taxi pick him up each day to take him to school ? This taxi is paid for by DCC, why are they not using the free mobility car to do this ?

Money being spent unnecessary once again

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Dance04 says...
9:07pm Thu 9 Feb 12

as the school is quite some distance away and they have two other children to take to school. In fairness money is being spent on a lot more unless things than helping disabled people

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robbiejay says...
9:47pm Thu 9 Feb 12

Dance04, I *CAN* truly say I have never left the car to quickly run in the house. This is probably why I still have a car on my drive.

I also know of 2 families that have had mobility cars taken off them as they were being used for work purposes.

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Dance04 says...
9:53pm Thu 9 Feb 12

Well ur one of few then. It was never stated this car was used for just work purposes.just that there was ladders on it. In all honesty the ladders, job, have nothing to do with the theft, but that a little boy is now without transport and stuck in the house till something can be done.

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robbiejay says...
6:46am Fri 10 Feb 12

I would suggest if he is a self-employed painter & decorator, and this is the only car they have, that it was being used in line with his business. Does mobility insurance cover social, domestic, pleasure & work use?

Whilst I feel sorry that this poor lad now can't go far, there's nobody to blame but his father for his own stupidity.

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Lucegr says...
4:35pm Fri 10 Feb 12

I can not believe the sanctimonious comments made by some people regarding this awful crime that this family have been the victim of. I can honestly say I only gave thought to what kind of person would target a disabled child's family I such a cruel way. I hope the people who are more concerned with what the family have done to deserve it don't have to deal with such unsympathetic nonsense if they are ever the victims of crime.

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kristal27 says...
7:18pm Sat 11 Feb 12

Bemused or bewildered wrote:
I will admit I have left the car running outside of my house, but I picked up that this family get a mobility car to help with their son, which to them is a big help, but why on earth then does a taxi pick him up each day to take him to school ? This taxi is paid for by DCC, why are they not using the free mobility car to do this ? Money being spent unnecessary once again
yes thats what i thought as well -yet another example of people twisting the system -my mum has a hairdresser that is ' disabled' - yet has a thriving business cutting peoples hair in their own home for cash, using her brand new mobility car to get round her clients that she gets changed free of charge every three years. Another person i know is a 'disabled' cleaner who works 5 days a week cleaning other peoples houses -using her mobility car to do the rounds - its ridiculous! If this child gets a taxi to school why does his parents need a car? -oh dear they had' plans' for half term - lucky them - we both work full time and can't afford to take the kids anywhere at half term - we're too busy paying off car loans to get us to WORK!

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bishop1 says...
10:58pm Sat 11 Feb 12

there is no excuse for leaving the engine running & going back in the house , why not have a big sign on the side of the car saying nick me please .
I seem to remember when people used to go in the paper shop on a morning & leave the car running , then they learned when cars went missing , that was a bad idea but they were only going to be half a minute .

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