Woman admits stealing mobility scooter as OAP left dying in Tesco car park

25 April 2023 , 10:50

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Kimberley Hawkins was remanded in custody

A woman has admitted taking a disabled man’s mobility scooter from him and assaulting him before he collapsed in a Tesco car park and later died.

Kimberley Hawkins, 40, from Stroud admitted a charge of aggravated vehicle taking without consent this year and then being involved in an accident which caused injury to Neil Shadwick.

Hawkins also pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr Shadwick, causing him actual bodily harm, shortly before he collapsed and died.

Mr Shadwick, 63, was found lying on the ground by a member of staff at Tesco superstore at Stratford Park, Stroud, at around 6am on January 22.

The temperature at the time was minus four degrees. Mr Shadwick was taken to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, where he later died.

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Mr Shadwick’s mobility scooter was found later that same day, at around 9am abandoned in Bisley Old Road, Stroud.

Tributes were left for Neil Shadwick (SWNS)

At an earlier hearing the court was told that Mr Shadwick had Parkinson's Disease and had recently had a stroke.

He had difficulty communicating verbally. He also had an implant installed in his body.

Judge Ian Lawrie KC explained that he realised that there was an important need to establish the medical evidence surrounding Mr Shadwick’s death as he was suffering from a number of health complications at the time.

Judge Lawrie told Gloucester Crown court: “I appreciate it will be difficult to secure a number of experts and I can see this will not be resolved for many months.”

Prosecutor Mary Cowe said: “The National Crime Agency had not been able to identify relevant experts in the field as we are looking for specialists within the neurological and pathologist fields as they would have to confer."

Hawkins was remanded in custody and the case adjourned until August 18.

Adam Aspinall