Fundraiser started for Rutland Arms landlord who was kicked and punched in break-in
A fundraiser has been started to support a pub landlord who was kicked and punched in an early morning break-in.
Sarah Lucas, the landlord of The Rutland Arms in Francis Avenue, Southsea, was set upon by two men on Saturday, May 17 at 2am after they broke into her pub. A post on Facebook by Sarah told how she was was kicked and punched before the thieves took a till which turned out to be empty.
Following the ordeal, one of the pub’s patrons has set up a fundraiser to help the landlord. Toby Belshaw has set a target of £900 to help Sarah “recover and rest” after the traumatic experience.
The message on the GoFundMe page stated: “As you may have seen across social media pages, Sarah was viciously attacked at night in her own home with her children there. I know Sarah very well, not much fazes her and she is currently the strongest women I know, but I believe it would be nice for her to recover and rest a bit after the trauma.
“Sarah is the heartbeat of Southsea and it would be nice to help her with a few coins, big or small, to hopefully make her smile in this sad situation we are in.”
.jpeg?trim=0,256,0,256&width=640&quality=65)
The news of the break-in was announced by Sarah on Saturday morning. She said: “I apologise to anyone who came wanting breakfasts this morning. I was closed because around 2am I had a break in and I was attacked by two ‘men’.
“I was repeatedly punched in the head and stamped on. I’m bruised and it looks like my shoulder dislocated but went back in. They took a till drawer and after hitting me again, ran off.
“The till drawer was completely empty so they ended up with nothing but an empty metal box. The police are investigating. Forensics were here early morning so cooking was not happening today.
“I’m likely to open later today but not at least until the pain killers kick in, so please bear with me. If you do hear anything or are told anything about this incident please don’t hesitate in calling the police. I sincerely appreciate your understanding.”
The police are currently conducting enquiries and are asking for anyone with any information to come forwards. A Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary spokesperson said: ““At approximately 2am on Saturday May 17, officers were called to a report of a robbery at The Rutland Arms on Francis Avenue.
“It’s reported that two unknown men entered the premises via a rear door, before assaulting a woman and stealing a till, which was empty. Officers are investigating the incident and extensive enquiries are underway to establish the full circumstances.
“Anyone with any information about the incident, including any footage from the area at the time, should contact 101 and quote incident number 44250214651.”
Further details on the fundraiser and how you can donate can be found on https://tinyurl.com/2ydc8dfv.