Hysterical victim thought she might lose baby - ‘they’re scumbags’ says husband

A heavily pregnant woman robbed by a pair of callous teenagers said she became “hysterical” when she thought she might lose her baby.

The victim - who asked not to be named - was thrown to the floor by the thugs in Bemerton Street, near the junction with Clayton Street, Islington on Saturday afternoon, suffering a broken finger and a suspected fractured wrist.

But worst of all, after the crooks ran off, for 30 minutes she couldn’t feel any movement from her unborn child, and was terrified some thing awful had happened.

“I was completely shocked at first,” she said. “I someone I knew was playing a joke on me, trying to grab my phone.

“The next thing I was spinning around.

“I fell forward straight onto baby. I put my hand out to cushion the fall, and when I looked up they had disappeared with my phone.

“When I looked my finger I started screaming because it was bent the wrong way. i had to double take because it looked so weird.

“I know I had hit my baby and for at least half an hour there was no movement.

“I went hysterical, but suddenly I had a wave of calm.

“I sat on the floor with everyone around helping me - I couldn’t believe how good people from the neighbourhood were.”

She was rushed to hospital, and after a series of checks it turned out the baby’s heart was still beating - but the mugging had brought on labour early

“It started the contraptions,” said the expectant mum’s husband.

“She was 38 weeks, so that’s nearly full term.

“But she is doing OK, but I dread to think what could have happened.

“These people are the lowest of the low - they are scumbags.

“Maybe they didn’t know she was pregnant, or maybe they thought she was more vulnerable and wouldn’t be able to chase them.

“I’ve lived in Islington since I was 10 years old, and we want to bring our child up here, but things like this, it makes you wonder.”

The couple hope talking about their experience may help catch the young thieves, or at least stop it happening to someone else.

The phone is said to be an iPhone 5 with a distinctive white case with blue elephants.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: “At around 3.45pm on Saturday a young male grabbed the woman from behind.

“The male snatched her phone causing her to fall on the pavement, fracturing her arm.

“The 30-year-old woman was taken by London Ambulance Service to a north London hospital.

“The unborn baby is not believed to have been harmed.

“The suspect ran towards Copenhagen Street where he met up with a male accomplice on a mountain bike before making off.

“He is described as around 15-years-old, 5 ft 3 ins in height and of average build. He had shaggy, medium-length, blond hair and was wearing a sky blue t-shirt and jogging bottoms.

“Anyone with information that may assist the investigation should call Detective Constable Daryl Cavanagh at Islington CID via 101. To remain anonymous call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”