A pensioner died of stress after burglars raided his home and stole his funeral savings, his family have said.
John Jordan's devastated loved ones believe his heart attack was a result of the burglary as the grandad had become "jumpy and anxious" under his own roof. The 84-year-old, who was a great-great grandfather, "didn't feel safe in his home any more" after the raiders broke in and nabbed £1,500 of cash as he lay hooked up to an oxygen machine sleeping.
The yobs were branded "UK's cruellest burglars" in April last year by the Mirror's sister title, Sunday People, in their appeal to trace the thugs. More than a year on, neither of them have been found.
John's death has now left his family traumatised and heartbroken.
Speaking exclusively to Mirror Mirror last night, John's granddaughter Chloe-Ann Preedy, 21, said: "We believe this stress caused his death. He was left living with huge stress and anxiety and it became tiring, so the burglars did have a lot to play in his death. It changed him.
"Following this he had the heart attack, and unfortunately passed away but he was living with a lot of stress after the burglary. He was very jumpy and anxious after the burglary, and scared to leave his own home.
"I feel the burglars had a lot to play in his deterioration."
John, who struggled to use banks, wanted to help his family cover his funeral costs with the cash. Instead, his grieving relatives, of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, had to settle for a direct cremation, and so were unable to pay their respects as they would have wished.
Chloe-Ann, who works as a sales assistant, continued: "We were unable to give him the send off he deserved or we would have liked to have given him. We obviously weren't able to attend the direct cremation, which was such a shame.
"It has hit the family, particularly my mum, quite bad. My mum couldn't do the funeral she wanted to and she puts that down to the burglars. She has struggled to sleep and has suffered with nightmares. The burglary still affects her now."
Thames Valley Police last year investigated the cruel burglary at John's address. The thugs had forced a window open and took John's CCTV camera to cover their tracks.
But the painter and decorator's family still harbours hopes the crooks will be caught and punished, after the further pain of the funeral.
"I would like to hope that in time they are caught," Chloe-Ann said.
"I think the police should still prioritise this, especially now after the death. Nothing has been done and who knows, they might still be going around targeting other people. They may feel they can get away with it."
Speaking last year to Sunday People after the ordeal, John, who was hard of hearing, said: "I just don’t want to be in this house any more. I don’t feel safe and this makes me angry. I struggle to sleep at night worrying they will come back.
"I should not have to feel like that living in my own home."
Chloe-Ann said at the time: "He is very upset. This is an old, frail man and he’s been hugely affected by this. It has really hit him hard. What they have done is absolutely disgusting. They are the lowest of the low."
A Thames Valley Police spokesperson said last night: “We received a report of a burglary at a property in Tandra, Milton Keynes, at around 3.50am on 23 March last year. An offender forced open a window and stole a quantity of cash from a wallet, which was on the arm of a chair the victim, a man in his eighties, was sleeping in.
"A 47-year-old man from Milton Keynes was arrested on suspicion of burglary on 10 May last year. He was initially released on police bail but has since been released with no further action.
"Following an investigation, the report was filed in September last year pending further information coming to light. Anyone with further information on this incident should call 101 or make a report on our website, quoting reference number 43220125620."
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - sign up to our daily newsletter here.
