Former soldier, 80, dies four months after thugs beat him and stole £30,000 life savings

A FORMER soldier who was beaten mercilessly by raiders for his life savings has died four months after the attack.

Tommy Ward, 80, was discovered with serious injuries at his home on October 1 last year after thugs stole around £30,000.

The great-grandfather was receiving ongoing care following the incident but last night sadly died last night at Rotherham Hospital.

A post-mortem will be carried out in the coming days to determine the cause of his death.



Ex-miner Tommy, who also served in the Norfolk Regiment, suffered a fractured skull, broken ribs and a broken jaw in the assault.

His index finger was also snapped and he had a seriously scalp wound that required six hours of surgery.

Detectives said a safety deposit box was also pinched from his home in Maltby, South Yorks, and a similar one was found in nearby Kilnhurst two weeks later.

After the attack Tommy's daughter Jackie Perry described his assailants as "animals" and said they had "no conscience".

The pensioner's family — which includes four children, 12 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren — also branded the attackers "monsters" and feared they would never face justice.

Two 19-year-old men were previously arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and burglary. They have been released with no further action.

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