Below is the story of my contact with Anne McConnell

Lamlash
KA27


Wednesday, 11 July 2007


This is to explain what happened on Friday 29th June 2007.

There is a video, and photographs to support this statement.

Anne was recommended to me by a neighbour. I believe that she is a senior care assistant with the council. She works with needy people who live in the complex.

I made an arrangement with Anne McConnell that she do a ‘mini spring clean’ of my flat the last Wednesday of each month. This should take about 1.5 hours for which I would pay her £20. I wanted what I specified to be done to a high level.

She agreed to do this, and on about May 23rd she did the first clean. I did not inspect, and did not find any fault. During the month I had done a bit of cleaning, as I did not know that I was going to get a cleaner.

In the month leading up to 29th June, because I was not ‘with it’, I did not do much cleaning.

Anne came to see me on Wednesday 27th June to say that she could not clean that day, but that she would come at 2pm on the Friday.

I was in the lounge on that Friday, for the coffee afternoon. She came in about 2.25pm, with her daughter; said that she was going to see Neil, and that she would do mine afterwards. She returned about 2.45pm and I walked with her to my flat, as I wanted to talk to her. (The times may be a little out.)


At the flat I asked her if she would to a big monthly shop for me, and I would pay her £20. Also, I asked if she would take a ‘retainer’ of £20/month to do a small shop, get my prescription, and do any other minor thing I needed. She agreed to do so. This would give her a total of about £60/month.

I said that I needed some shopping, and would she do a small shop at the local Coop, and I would pay her £10. She agreed to do so, and I gave her the £10 payment, and £40 for the shopping. (I estimated that it was over £20, but less than £40.)

I went back to the lounge.

She came into the lounge ¾ of an hour later. (As I say, I can’t remember the clock time, but I am certain that she was in the flat, after I left, for a bare 45 minutes. This for £20?)

I was surprised, because I took about 1 ¼ hours to do the work, and I am very organised, (and efficient!).  Ruth, who had done the work previously, did it in 1hour 5 minutes. (She is very good!)

When I returned to the flat, I went for a pee. I looked down, and I saw the mess! I moved the toilet brush …. I was livid! She had not moved a thing to clean the floor.

I rushed to my friends flat, and asked her to come and see. She was appalled.  We went into the living room, and she pointed out that the coffee table had not been cleaned. As I said, I had not cleaned much for about a month, and it showed.

I went with her, back to her flat, and she counseled me to remain calm. She gave me some advice, but, because of my emotional state, I told her that I would not take her advice. She did calm me down, and I went back to my flat.

I went into the bedroom to do my routine on my computer, and as I sat down, I saw the thick dust on the chest-of-drawers. I went potty again, and called my friend in to see it. Once again she was shocked at how the cleaning had been done. She returned to her flat.

I lost it! I picked up the phone, and phoned Anne. She was not there, so I left a message. I had made up my mind to shame her, tell her that if she wanted money that bad, then she could keep the £50 for the shopping, and that I did not want her to do my cleaning.

She called me back, and that is what I did. She asked what I meant, and I just repeated it, said, “Bye”, and put the phone down. She then called back and asked what had I said, and I repeated the words, said, “Bye”, and put the phone down.

I was fuming, and could feel my heart pounding. I took a beta blocker.

On telling my friend what I had done, she told me that I was stupid, but that she believed that Anne would bring the money back on Monday. I replied that if she did then I would rip it up in front of her. My friend was very alarmed at my state of mind, and we sat and talked until I had calmed down a bit.

On the Monday following, I was sitting at my window, and Anne walked out to her car. She saw me there, and waved at me! I thought, “Yes, you thieving cow, I should wave back, and wave goodbye to my money!” I didn’t. I just sat there like a lemon!

On the 10th July, I related all of this to our co-ordinator. During the talk, I was emotionally disturbed, and used foul language and was insulting. I can’t apologise for that, because it was the natural response of having the opportunity of relieving the emotional tension that I had been under for the past ten days, or so.

To try to relieve my tensions, I made a titled video of the camcorder record of the cleaning of the toilet & bedroom. I put it on YouTube :-

  (Click this link to watch)

and emailed the link to some political parties, and Help the Aged.

Later, I checked the NA council site, and found a link to the ‘early response’ service, and sent a similar email to them.

On Friday 13th 2007, the co-ordinator came to see me. Without directly saying so, she put all the blame on me, and none on onto Anne. Where is this all leading?

She did say that Anne had told her that she had put the £50 into an envelope, and that she was “confused” (Ho Ho!!), as to what to do!

I understand that as a result of the YouTube video (14 views by the recipients of my emails - now 80), pressure was put on Anne to return the cash.

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Three weeks after she took the £50, Anne McConnell put an envelope through my door at 10:15 am on 19th July 2007. I did not open it, but I held it up to the light. The £50 that I gave her was as two £20 notes & a £10. What was in the envelope was too bulky for this, inferring that she did not immediately put the £50 into an envelope as she had told the co-ordinator.

I have taken advice, and it can be alleged that Anne McConnell “Obtained pecuniary advantage by deception” in that she claimed to have done cleaning when it can be shown by video, camera and a reliable witness, that the cleaning was not done. It was as a result of this deception that a vulnerable old man became emotionally unstable, and ‘gave’ the money to her. As an experienced care worker, she was well aware of the irresponsible behavior of old people, and that she exploited that knowledge.

CLICK HERE FOR ANNE'S "CONFESSION"


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Not wanting the “blood” money, I sent the following letter:-

(WM HOSP. SUPPORTERS’ LEAGUE)
ISLE OF ARRAN
KA27

I enclose an envelope that I believe contains £50, or £70.

It was ‘stolen’ from me on 29th June and returned just now, 10:15 am 19th July.

As I consider the money to be ‘conscience money’, the return of which, was ‘forced’; I have no wish to touch it.

I have a heart condition, (and several others, as 74yo are prone to!), and for the past three weeks I have been in a constant state of tension. My BP, normally 140/70, went up to 200/100. Never been that high. I have not left the complex, or socialised, as I did not wish to meet my neighbours, and explain to them what happened.

Thinking of this, and its effect on my long term health, I decided that the charity to benefit from the money should be “The WM Hospital Supporters, Fund”. This is a selfish act, as it is likely that I will benefit from the fund!

I decided on this course of action a couple of weeks ago, as I did not want the return of the money, but the return of my dignity.

You will understand that I am writing this to rid myself of the tension of the past three weeks. And, as I write, I believe that it is working!

None of this is confidential. When it first happened, I put a video onto YouTube, but it did not relieve my stress:-

I hope that I have not just dumped my stress onto you! As we say, “A friend in need is a bloody nuisance!”

Many thanks,

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