Police charge woman with robbing pensioner of mobility scooter shortly before he died after ‘attack’

A woman has been charged with robbing a Parkinson’s sufferer of his mobility scooter shortly before he died following the ‘attack’ outside a Tesco. 

Police were called to a Tesco car park in Stroud at around 6am on Sunday after Neil Shadwick, 63 was found unresponsive. He died in Gloucestershire Royal Hospital later that day. 

The four-wheeled scooter was later found abandoned by a member of the public on Bisley Old Road. 

Gloucestershire Police said on Wednesday: ‘Kimberley Ann Hawkins, 40, and of no fixed address, has been charged with robbing a man aged in his 60s of a motorised mobility scooter in the area of Stratford Road on January 22. 

Kimberley Ann Hawkins, 40, has been charged with robbing a pensioner of his mobility scooter

Neil Shadwick, 63, was found unresponsive in a Tesco car park and died later in hospital

‘She has been remanded in police custody ahead of an appearance at Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.’ 

Police said a post-mortem examination returned inconclusive results about the cause of the pensioner’s death and an investigation is ongoing. 

Mr Shadwick, 63, of Archway Gardens, Stroud, suffered from Parkinson’s Disease and had recently suffered a stroke. 

Hawkins was initially arrested on Sunday on suspicion of murder and robbery but police have said the only charge she faces is robbery of the mobility scooter, which was found abandoned in Bisley Old Road in Stroud on the day of the incident.

Police said ‘A post-mortem examination has returned inconclusive results about the cause of death of a man following an incident in Stroud over the weekend.

‘Police were called shortly before 6am on Sunday 22 January with a report a man had been found unresponsive in the car park of Tesco superstore on Stratford Road.

The mobility scooter was found in Bisley Old Road in Stroud after police were called to a Tesco in the town

‘He was subsequently taken to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital by paramedics and died later that day.

‘Further testing will need to be carried out to determine the cause of death and a police investigation is ongoing.

‘Formal identification of the deceased man, who was aged in his 60s, is due to take place tomorrow (Thursday 26 January).

‘A 40-year-old woman who had been arrested in connection with the man’s death is now on police bail.

‘Anyone with information on what took place is asked to contact police online by completing the following form quoting incident 78 of 22 January: https://www.gloucestershire.police.uk/tua/tell-us-about/cor/tell-us-about-existing-case-report/

‘You can also call police on 101.

‘Information can be submitted anonymously by calling independent crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online here: