'Tormented to death - like bear-baiting': Man with learning difficulties bullied for 17 years collapses after confronting yobs

Published 12th Mar 2010

A man with learning difficulties was 'tormented to death' during 17 years of abuse by feral children.

David Askew died on his doorstep during a confrontation with yobs.

Police had been in regular contact with him, but had failed to halt what had become a daily routine of bullying against the man the gangs nicknamed 'Dopey Dave'.

His death came on the eve of a damning report criticising forces for not tackling the misery caused by street gangs.

Mr Askew had gone outside to tackle a group who had broken down his gate and were interfering with his elderly mother's mobility scooter when he collapsed and died of a suspected heart attack.

Children as young as eight had subjected the 64-year-old to years of unrelenting abuse.

Last night neighbours said they were in no doubt the campaign of bullying led to his death and blamed police and the local council for failing to do enough to protect him.

Police said they had been in almost daily contact with Mr Askew, his 89-year-old mother Rose and brother Brian, 67, at their home Hattersley, near Hyde, Greater Manchester.

But they admitted their actions had resulted in just one teenager being given an Asbo and another escaping prosecution by apologising for smashing windows.

An 18-year-old man was last night arrested on suspicion of manslaughter over the death Mr Askew's death.

Mrs Askew yesterday described her son as 'a very happy person' who was 'kind and thoughtful'.

She said: 'He was a true gentleman and would often help me around the house and with shopping. He wouldn't hurt a fly and he never saw bad in anyone. He always put others first.'

Mr Askew, described by neighbours as a harmless oddball with a mental age of eight, was first targeted in the mid-1990s.

Hooded youths from nearby estates began taunting him and throwing stones when he walked to the shops and shouting names at him when he was home, locals said.

Police fitted CCTV cameras at his house, but the attacks soon started up again led by the previous bullies' younger brothers. Neighbour Avona Davies, 49, said: 'They tormented David for money and cigarettes. They harassed him every night without fail.

'We have stopped complaining for about 12 months because nothing gets done. Sometimes it would be two of them, others it would be six kids or a big gang.

'David would throw money and cigarettes into our garden to get rid of them but they would always go back.

'David's windows were smashed lots of times because they would throw stuff. They hounded them.'

Dean Darkson, 19, said: 'They bullied him relentlessly and we believe he died of fright because of all the trouble he had been getting.'

Another neighbour said: 'They always knew he would retaliate. It is tragic - like bear baiting - tormented to death.'

The details emerged on the day a national report by the Inspectorate of Constabulary found officers did not turn up to 23 per cent of antisocial behaviour complaints.

Chief Inspector of Constabulary Denis O'Connor said forces' performance was 'inadequate' with more than half unable to identify repeat victims.

This left officers ignorant of some of the most vulnerable people, often the disabled.

The issue was highlighted by the death of Fiona Pilkington, who called 999 on 33 occasions, only for police in Leicestershire to fail to link or prioritise the cries for help.

Driven to despair, she took her life and that of her disabled daughter Francecca Hardwick.

Chief Superintendent Zoe Hamilton, of Greater Manchester Police, said of Mr Askew's death: 'One of our community beat managers has been meeting with David's mum almost daily to provide assistance.

Last night Mrs Askew said the force had given the family all the support they could.

'We have had regular contact with the local beat officers and they often pop by to see how we are doing,' she said.

But Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling said: 'Just how many of these tragic cases are we going to have to see before this government and the police adopt a proper zero tolerance approach to antisocial behaviour?'

Source: ' Daily Mail '

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