A battling headmistress with Parkinson’s disease t

A battling headmistress with Parkinson’s disease told a
jury today (Monday) how she fought off three teenagers who
tried to grab her handbag.

Retired Alethea Lyle, 65, former headmistress at St Peter’s
private girls’ school in Kettering, shattered her right kneecap
after falling to the pavement in St James’s Street, London,
SW1, when attacked.

The strong-willed woman, who was using a walking stick
when mugged, was rushed to Westminster Hospital, where she
underwent emergency surgery.

Fortunately, the hospital’s top orthopaedic surgeon saved her
kneecap.

Mrs Lyle’s right leg was in plaster from ‘top to bottom’
for six weeks.

Simon Walker, 21, an engineer, of Federation Avenue,
and Damien Dunkley, 17, a butcher, of Broadlands, both Desborough,
Northants, both deny inflicting grievous bodily harm and attempted
robbery.

A third defendant, factory worker Scott Rowland, 17, of Brampton
Way, Brixworth, Northants, admitted attempted robbery and will be
sentenced after the trial of the other two has been concluded.

The jury heard that Mrs Lyle, who lives in St James’s
Street, London, SW1, was attacked by the three youths in St
James’s Street at about 5.

30 pm on Sunday, March 3, 1991.

Mrs Lyle, sitting in a chair in the witness box, told
the jury the handle of her floppy shoulder bag was wound tightly
around her left hand.

‘I’ve had it stolen before in Naples and since then I’ve
wound it very well round my hand,’ she said.

While looking up at a building, ‘somebody came running
past my left side and snatched at my bag’, she said.

‘I couldn’t let go of it even if I wanted to because it
was wound too tightly round my hand.

‘I got a tremendous jerk, a wrench of my left arm and I
was spun round on to my right knee on the pavement.

‘I scrambled up and saw the youth running off down
Ryder Street.

I could see the soles of his trainers and his
jeans.

He was a white youth with light brown hair.

‘
Mrs Lyle said she was ‘furious.

‘
She went on: ‘I struggled to my feet.

I realised I couldn’t
walk home because my knee was hurting so much.

‘
She said an American who helped her said: ‘This is as bad
as Chicago.

‘
Mrs Lyle clambered into a taxi, which rushed her to
Westminster Hospital.

Prosecutor Mr John Hobbs said Roland tried to grab the
woman’s bag, but the attempted robbery was a ‘joint enterprise
by all three defendants.

‘
Mr Hobbs said the teenagers spotted Mrs Lyle in St
James’s Street and Walker suggested they follow her.

‘Mr Walker turned towards the other two and said they
should grab her handbag,’ he said.

‘Roland took that to mean that he should grab the
lady’s bag.

‘Walker walked ahead past the lady and into a side
turning.

He came out and nodded back to the other two.

‘Roland tried to snatch the lady’s bag but because of
the way it was secured to her he was unable to remove it.

‘
Two witnesses who saw the incident will give evidence at
the trial.

Police rushed to the scene and arrested Roland and
Walker.

Dunkley was arrested later at Kettering.

Mr Hobbs said the three defendants had earlier that day
driven from the Midlands to London in Walker’s car.

Dunkley told police when interviewed that ‘it was
Roland’s idea’ and that he, Dunkley, was an innocent bystander.

The trial continues tomorrow Tuesday.

ENDS