Grandma Mugged after Bingo Win.

After winning £80 playing bingo 78 year old grandmother Phyllis May Barry thought she was on a winning streak, but unfortunately this didn’t last too long as she was then mugged on the way home.

The mother of 3 had been playing at the British Legion Club in Rumney, Cardiff on Sunday and had left just after 11pm to catch the bus home. She saw 2 men running but assumed they were also in a hurry to catch the bus, until one of them pushed her over and snatched her handbag. Although Mrs Barry had earlier won £80 she had about £150 in her purse, along with family photos, glasses, her bus pass and cigarettes. The muggers also took her house keys which meant she had to get her locks changed. The retired barmaid described the incident as ‘quite scary’ and said it left her ‘feeling shook up and aching all over’.

The grandmother of 5 didn’t believe that the mugging had anything to do with her win at the British Legion club, where she had been playing bingo for over 25 years, although her 52 year old son Brian doesn’t have the same opinion. Although relieved his mother wasn’t seriously hurt he believes that the mugging, coming so close after her win, was more than a coincidence, and feels that someone who was at the bingo and knew of Mrs Barry’s win had something to do with it.

South Wales Police have arrested 2 men in connection to the mugging, which DC Hannah Millership of St Mellions CID described as ‘a serious, horrendous crime against an elderly, vulnerable female on her way home’. The DC though did go on to say that it was very unusual for such an event to happen in that area of Cardiff, and that it was being treated as an isolated incident.

We hope that the next time Mrs Barry has a win it won’t be followed so closely by such bad luck.

Related bingo news:

1. Scottish grandmother mugged after bingo
2. Bingo minibus crashes
3. 100 Years Old and still Playing Bingo
4. Grandmother wins £4.5 million on lottery
5. Playing Bingo reduces time in Hospital