The love of her life died fighting in the trenches of the First World War and she had lived through the horrors of the London Blitz.
But nothing prepared Britain’s oldest woman for the terror of being targeted in her own home by a violent career criminal.
Grace Jones had just celebrated her 112th birthday when Jesse Coker burst into her flat. He kicked her door down and shoved her against a wall as he rifled her handbag, snatching £100 in cash.
Yesterday, after he was jailed for four and a half years, it emerged that Coker was on licence at the time for a series of burglaries in which he preyed on the elderly.
The 46-year-old has 16 convictions for 48 burglaries dating back to the age of ten. Yet he was let out in May 2009 after serving half of a seven-year sentence despite the risk of him reoffending
Miss Jones, who was born on December 7, 1899, became the oldest living person in Britain in February this year.
The spinster had only celebrated her 112th birthday a month before she was attacked in her home in Rotherhithe, south London.
The former seamstress, who lost her 19-year-old fiancé Albert Rees during the First World War, now lives alone in the area which has become a magnet for crime. Woolwich Crown Court heard that five days before her birthday, an unidentified thief entered her home and stole her £300 pension.
The next day Coker attempted to break-in by posing as a parcel delivery man but her neighbour Matthew Maddigan, 31, chased him off after the brave pensioner told Coker to ‘hop it’.
Then on January 24, Miss Jones answered a knock at the door to find Coker posing as a policeman.
Vivian Walters, prosecuting, said: ‘Miss Jones went to the door and called out “Who’s there?” ‘She was expecting the district nurse to visit her that day in order to change a dressing on her leg.
‘She heard no reply so she opened the door a crack. He pushed the door open, barged past Mrs Jones and made his way into the flat.’
When the trembling victim followed him into the living room, Coker pushed her against the wall.
He grabbed her purse, which contained £100 as well as other treasured items including a four leaf clover she kept for luck, before leaving her crumpled on the floor.
Mr Maddigan confronted Coker outside having recognised him, but the thug threatened to stab them, snarling: ‘I’ve got a tool and I will hurt you.’
The neighbour said: ‘I was just so shocked to see the same guy back again. I heard someone ring Grace’s doorbell and opened the door to make sure everything was alright.
‘I heard Grace say “What are you doing” and “Get off me” so I rushed downstairs.
‘I confronted him. I just wanted him to stop and tried to get in his way. He said he had a knife and was going to stab me. He kept saying he was going to kill me.’
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This is because our justice system is a joke !
The guy is obviously a threat and a menace to society.
Don’t normally say things like this but, he needs to be kept away from our senior citizens, until he is 80 odd at least himself.
Poor Graciexxx
It makes my blood boil it really does. I bet this sh** head gets ll he can off the state. I would love to be locked in a room, a small room, he would shit him self like most of these thugs do. Clark says proson doesn’t work, well stop making it dam easy for these shits. £38.000 a year it costs, thats because they live the life of comfort. A choice of 5 menu’s, f****ing bread and water is what they deserve, and sod their families. I’m sorry but if they don’t consider their families, why should we. This person should be flogged then flogger again. I’ll do it and wont stop until my arm aches. Yes it’s emotion, and won’t he bloody well know it. The SH** HEAD I wouldn’t cross the road to pi** on him if he were on fire.
Im in firm agreement Martin, prison was once a deterent and it should be that way.
Basic meals, hard labour, no comforts for any such crimes as this commited. Why would any criminal such as this care about doing crime when no apt punishment applies.
I oppose law and order in many ways, but when crimes such as this happen, a punishment of complete enforced labour should apply like the old days.
Pointlessness of digging holes and flling them in day in day out for years would be simple and effective. Chained to one another to limit boundries, no talking, no fun, no entertainment, no choices in any shape or form, its deterent at no damn extra costs to their imprisonment.
To be made to do this year in year out would be a strong deterent woukdnt it. But no, its, tv, pool tables and meal choices, its disgusting.
I dont agree all prisoners deserve the same, some people are inside for many different reasons but crime that instills fear and is abusive to the innocent is not acceptable and does need severe punishment to have the doer regret and willfully never redo again.
Politics says rights for these people, but no rights for victims as ever in politics….. Theres nothing evil in making someone dig a hole and fill it in when it will firmly state a new person once their ordeal is over…… They will have had all that time to think what put them there and hate it enough not to ever do it again.
In such an awful story, how beautiful that the neighbour and friend was so protective, coming to her aid twice.
So many turn their backs today dont they, this man is Graces real hero in modern times. He deserves a bravery award and a big naming locally. If he was my friend or neighbour? Id be beaming with admiration for him.
As for Grace, bless her soul, what an age, she is a fighter for sure, its disgusting people like this scumbug choose such weak and frail victims. The scumbag must be more than a bully, hes a cowardly bully.
As a repewt offender since age ten, the system is clealy failing the victim in years of that failing.
When will it ever be learned, to have the system work, it demands change!
Ann
When you thought the law and Justice couldn’t get more bloody outragous please look ast this latest rubbish?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2168997/Soft-justice-Prisoners-win-right-tea-making-facilities-cells-case-fancy-brew-night.html
I read the link provided and its truly as you say ‘bloody outragous’……….. A cup of tea for category A, serious offending criminals being a right….. How damn ludicrous and disturbingly insulting to the victims of whom fell prey to these b*stards,.
I despise Kenneth Clarke truly, this scumbag has determined that legal aid was quashed as soon as these sh!ts came into parliament, making the victims suffer even more than before, he now provides ludicrous luxuries to the criminal.
Its disgusting, unjustly and does nothing to benefit a crime lowering nor fairness for all.
It truly angers me!
“It’s not the severity of punishment but rather the certainty of punishment that deters crime.” This is a quotation from Isaac Parker, the hanging judge. He was porade in the film with John Wayne as Rooster Cogberg. Punishment must mean punisment.
“This bastard should be executed plain and simple”
So, the answer to the problem of an act of barbarity is to commit an even greater act of barbarity!!!.
I wonder when I read stories like these of what made a person turn out bad, their upbringing, deprived of a parental compass, etc. I come to a conclusion the society we live in is responsible, barbarising young minds, war games on computers, seeing others with things they never got/get, being told your a failure in life, who knows why ?. We have always lived in a society where the mantra is “Only the strong survive, the weak fall by the wayside”. There is no difference to what the well educated are doing to the old, sick, disabled at this moment in time, is there. The whole foundation for our society needs to undergo a complete reversal, will it ?, sadly, I don’t think it will.
“The 46-year-old has 16 convictions for 48 burglaries dating back to the age of ten.”
Say’s it all!!!.
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2012/jul2012/chil-j05.shtml
I’m sorry to have to disagree with both of you but you cannoit continue to blame society for people behaving in an inhuman way?
This poor old woman has lived 112 years, do you not think in her lifetime she has seen and experienced huge amounts of deprivation and lack of facilities etc, did she turn to crime, did she go around breaking into other peoples homes? NO
WHO says – “The 46-year-old has 16 convictions for 48 burglaries dating back to the age of ten.” It say’s one thing to me? This bastard is a habitual criminal who has not learnt, once or twice you can maybe say he was an innocent child, not any longer, this man knew nothing would really be done to punish him, it’s far too easy for him in jail.
I watched “Gordon Ramsay” in Brixton Prison last week, a new TV programme, many of the inmates when asked by Ramsay how come you’ve come back so many times, in one case 27 times, it’s too easy, you cannot contnually keep on saying “Stop being a naughty boy” or “I had a poor childhood” “No one loved me”, many people have terrible upbringings, abuse, child abuse, incredible poverty, they still don’t go on to carry out a lifetime of crime, destroy peoples lives who have just managed to survive, this man is scvum and I would personally not have a problem throwing the bloody switch on him….
Ah who, im in agreement there truly, in another article i did state that murder for murder is no way forward.
I dont belive in any eye for an eye system, as i said, many are wrongly accused and many other factors.
I like you am in firm agreement that crime is not only commited from the top. But also design made by the top. They play life against life, enforce fear of nothing, blame the likes of us, spread hate crime in the media, its no new card played, theyve done it since ever having bullied their way to the top.
I agree this article headline is the elitist way.
But netherless, people need be safe in their own homes, i know you are not saying otherwise hon.
Youre right though, barbarity is rife and people actually believe by torturing and killing wrongdoers is the way to go, it isnt!
Whether abuse occured in any coward, bully, evil doer in their past? Is no real easy excuse.
Without going into detail, i was raised in a both mentally and physically abusive family, i left aged 14 and never looked back.
I still have awful memories, i still cant forget (however much i try) about being forced to do things as a child via brutal force of two very cruel people, adults. But, it taught me how not to be.
I know right from wrong, i know hurt inflicted upon the weaker is more than wrong, its utterly unacceptable.
Im 37 now, ive never in my adult years deliberately used my past, to excuse any wrongdoing. Even as DRS and Shrinks demanded from me i blame my past for the what the actual drug was doing to me. I knew it wasnt my past causing my hell, but proving it was impossible.
I dont say everyone is as mentally strong as i have been and fuck knows how? In my years of brain abuse. But the use your past excuse wears thin.
I dont know what some may have suffered? But many actually turn out good people as opposed to cowardly bullies and thieves.
I do agree torture and brutality to death is a nonsensical way to deal with crime, it is in fact absurd.
I honestly, a personal view of course, do think, harsh deterring punishment is needed to ever put people on the right track.
Itd be better if we all taught our kids and their kids in a better way, not like today with kids becoming a lot less like kids but mini adults who respect nothing and no one, not all kids are like it i know, but too many are and its in need of change.
I too disagree with Ann. These people understand nothing of morals and reasonableness. You have to deal harshly with them. When I was burgled many years ago and discovered who’d done it, I made sure some rather large male friends of mine gave the little scrote a good hiding he’d never forget. It’s the only language they understand.When I had intruders last winter, I not only set my large dogs onto them but I chased them with my large axe too. Not had any bother since. The police were useless and even if they’d actually apprehended them, they’d get some idiot judge telling them to be good boys because it was not nice to scare little old ladies, and let them off.
Admin i respect what you say but not once have i, nor ‘Who’ condoned this arseholes actions, my heart goes out to grace and yes i agree this b*stard has been both failed by and continues to fail the system.
I respect you want to protect yourself, family and property and i agree law is bullshit.
I am just not willing to agree torture and death solves the problem of any failed person or sytstem.
It is about society and the deliberated poverty, crime and agendas enforced by the elites and debates like this, about subjects like this are the elites wet dream.
I argue not with you, we each have our own take on life but, will agree to disagree on punishment served debates.
We both clearly feel strongly about such a subject, thats fair enough, at least we both agree, the system needs change, i doubt we’l agree on how exactly, lol, but we are on the same side regardless
My heart goes out to poor Grace. this is an ordeal no person, let alone an older person should ever have to endure. I send every good wish to her and hope she will recover enough to be able to live her life free enough from fear.
I don’t believe in the death penalty. my grandmother taught Timothy Evans a boy with learning difficulties who as a man was hung for Christie’s murders. My grandmother never forgot it. However I think there should be much tougher sentencing for those who prey on vulnerable and older people. I hope they throw the book at this unspeakable sod.
Of course, more can be done to help protect older people too. when i was well enough to work I was the Manager of a project at Age Concern- we put together a safety project in collaboration with South Wales police- for older people, warning and advising them on doorstep crime. It featured a dvd play acted by local older people on the sort of methods criminals use to gain entry. It was very well received indeed, the feedback was very positive from the older people, they felt empowered and clued up. The Government should be rolling out this sort of thing nationwide. Why aren’t they? Well we all know how caring they are towards the vulnerable don’t we- we are at the sharp end of their brutal policies after all.
Let him have it….. That was the referrence i used in the other post.
Your Grandmother was close to the poor guy Evans whom was slow mentally framed for murder when all he meant was, let him have the gun.
Many cases of framing occur, more than the known and famed, Colin Stagg, Birmingham six etc…. Its estimated that for every thousand convictions made in the uk alone, 600 are overturned on appeal.
The police are corrupt, law is and as i say always, the victim is never appropriately dealt with nor cared for.
I dont deny this bastard is a scummy shitbag, i just dont think any man has the right to become a god and kill another dead, its a personal view of course
i donot not seem whot to say at this act of cruelty to a very old and courageous women it does make me ashamed to be human at whot this person did to one so frail as this woman it just to numb to think whot can i say that would help her but there nowt and only hope she overcomes this jeffrey
Capital punishment is not the answer. It does not work and is barbaric. You can’t kill someone for killing someone on the pretenence that they should them selves be killed. Killing is wrong..In the days when they executed thieves in public, pick pockets would operate in the crowd gathered to watch. When capital punisment was carried out here it never stopped people from murdering. Murder is ‘hot blooded’, done in temper, “I didn’t mean to do it officer”.
No person is born bad. I didn’t have an easy childhood, it was no different from most but I was taught right from wron, and to respect other people.
We had a saying in the army, “You can’t educate pork” What we should do is take an island, South Georgia say, and use it like the on in ‘Pipillon’, send them all there with a handful of seeds and let them kill each other, rob and theif from each other. Give them nothing and get them out of the way. No mail, health care education, nonuffing. Let this barstard be the first.