A pensioner has had his “faith in people” rocked after thieves stole his mobility scooter from in front of his California Gully home.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Ian Tappy, 75 – a teacher and principal for 32 years – had to charge his newly-acquired gopher in front of his home on Sunday night.
An hour later, it was gone.
“I’m absolutely devastated,” Mr Tappy said.
“I'd rather help ya than hurt ya, and I expect others to be kind in return – apparently I'm on the wrong planet.”
It was already a tough 12 months for Ian Tappy.
Last February, the declining health of his partner, Carol Coutts , meant she had to go to Melbourne to receive full-time care.
Not only did it deprive him of his companion of 12 years, it meant his pension had to be stretched to help cover the cost of her care.
His own health was not improving. The effects of a stroke and a heart attack made going to the shops and getting out of the house difficult.
And for the former golfer, tennis player and physical education teacher, getting out of the house was important.
But Carol’s daughter, Lisa Lenehan, said living on his own was becoming increasing difficult for Mr Tappy.
“So he was so excited when he got his gopher,” Mrs Lenehan said.
“It meant he could duck down to the shops, get out and do errands...”
The secondhand gopher cost Mr Tappy $1,500 – and it wasn’t money he just had laying under the couch.
“I’d be going down to the store and paying it off with the pension, $50 here, $100 there...” Mr Tappy said.
“It took me twelve months, but when I was $176 dollars off he said, you can have it now Tappy, I trust you’ll pay it off.”
But Mr Tappy’s new-found freedom was short lived.
The mobility scooter ran out of battery in front of his house on Sunday night, meaning he couldn’t bring it inside his property.
Mr Tappy managed to get the gopher directly in front of his fence – close enough for an extension cord to reach the vehicle.
At 10pm he left the vehicle charging and went inside. When he came out, a little more than an hour later, it was gone.
“I’ve had that much bad luck in the last 12 months... I just don’t need this,” he said.
“I can’t believe anyone would be that low.”
Mr Tappy said the four-wheel Pride gopher was fawn in colour, with taillights and headlights and a distinctive basket on the back.
A teacher and principal for 32 years in a number of schools – including White Hills Technical School, Camp Hill Primary School and Golden Square – Mr Tappy said he’d seen his share of misbehavior in his time, and hoped this incident would turn out to be a cruel prank.
“I know you’re local and I hope you realise the jokes over,” Mr Tappy said in an appeal to the thief.
“You’ve broken my heart.”