An elderly Girrawheen couple have bravely spoken out about a terrifying home invasion and violent assault at the hands of three men who pretended to be police officers.
Ninette and Philip Simons were at home at their Allinson Drive property on the evening of April 16 when three men knocked on their door and produced a badge, claiming to be police officers.
Ninette Simons, 76, was assaulted in her own home by men pretending to be police officers.
The men gained entry to the house by saying they had a warrant to search it for stolen gold.
Once inside, 76-year-old Philip was tied up, while 73-year-old Ninette – a recent cancer survivor – was violently assaulted.
“I opened the door ... and one bloke grabbed me,” Philip said.
“He threw me on the floor and jumped on my back … and tied me up.
“They pushed my head into the floor and said ‘don’t turn around’, ‘don’t look at me’.”
While he was tied up, Philip could hear the sickening assault of his wife taking place in another part of the house.
“I said she’s a cancer patient, she’s just come out of hospital,” he said.
“But I could still hear the screaming and punching.”
Recalling the assault, Ninette told media this week she thought she was going to die from the attack which began after she emerged from her bedroom and came face to face with one of the men.
Ninette Simons was savagely assaulted in her home.Credit: Police Media
“I just came out of my bedroom when I saw this tall guy with glasses and he had a badge hanging from his neck,” she said.
“He said, ‘we are the TRG police. We are here to arrest you for your stolen jewellery’. He was trying to put the handcuffs on me, which he never did.
“The next minute I was getting punched by the second bloke who had a mask on his face saying ‘don’t scream’ and he was belting me, which went on for a good half an hour.
“I was thrown to the ground and he said ‘lie face down.’
Ninette and Philip Simons were assaulted and robbed in their Girrawheen home.
“I managed to get up. He pushed me back and I hit my head hard against the tiles in my bathroom, by which time I was pouring with blood from my mouth, from my nose.
“I blacked out unconscious for a minute or two.
“I thought I was dying ... I don’t know how I survived this at my age.”
After violently beating her, the men then started to wrench jewellery off her, including about 15 necklaces she was wearing around her neck.
The assault has left her with debilitating injuries.
“I’m very frightened,” she said. “I am not the same person I used to be, I can hardly stand or walk.
“I used to be able to go dancing and its highly unlikely I will do it again.
“Every time I stand or I move, I’m very dizzy. I’m in a lot of pain.”
The three men took rings, jewellery and some cash, together worth over $200,000, before leaving.
“They said, if you go to the police, we are from the area, we will be back to finish you,” Ninette said.
“He said that and walked out and the others followed him.”
Despite throwing significant resources at the investigation, the men remain on the run.
“It’s horrific,” Ninette said.
“I just felt defenceless. I felt like an idiot. I handed over all of my life’s savings on a platter, only to be bashed for it. They could have just taken it. I wasn’t even screaming. I couldn’t because he was hitting me. I was submissive. It was so easy for them to take it all, why did he have to bash me?
“I felt like I should have been dead. I don’t know how I survived this horrific thing.”
Detectives are urging anyone with any information relating to this incident, or who saw, or has CCTV or dash-cam vision, of any suspicious people or vehicles near Allinson Drive between 6.30pm and 7.45pm, to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via Crime Stoppers.
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