A family caring for a dying man in his final hours were left horrified after a rock was hurled through his window. Barry Millward, 50, was being cared for by his family on the evening of September 26, when a rock smashed through a glass door panel at his property in Mudeford, Dorset, shortly before 11:30pm.
Barry's sons Adam and Darryl and their aunt Sarah were watching a film at the time. Adam gave chase, but the culprit, a teenage boy, got into a car and drove off. Barry died about nine hours later, following a four-month battle with stage four cancer.
Family describes 'kick in the teeth'
'It was already a bad time that we were facing together, and for that to have happened was a kick in the teeth,' Adam, 31, said. He, Darryl and Sarah had been keeping an eye on Barry, with help from doctors and nurses, on the evening of the attack.
'We were just sitting downstairs and watching a movie when we heard an almighty bang,' Adam said. 'I initially thought, 'he's fallen out of bed', but when we rushed to check on him we found a rock had been thrown through the front door glass. I ran out there and saw this young kid running away.'
Family seeks answers
The teenager got into a dark coloured car and drove off. The rock had been taken from a display in Barry's garden. Now, as they mourn his death, the family want to know whether it was a random attack or targeted. Adam stressed they found it hard to believe anyone would have targeted Barry, saying he was 'a very well-loved man'.
'I'm baffled to know who would target my father as he's never done anything wrong to anybody,' he continued. 'I'd like the kid to know that he caused some severe devastation to the family. I would like him, or anyone who knows him, to show a bit of compassion and come and find me and explain why they did what they did. It was a really badly timed incident, while we were sitting there in tears and distress, and my father literally had hours left to live.'
Police search and appeal
Adam also bagged up the rock and handed it to a family member who works in police forensics to get it checked for prints. A Dorset force spokesperson said the officers had carried out a search in the area for the suspect and the car. However, they confirmed that no arrests had yet been made.
Those with information should get in touch online via dorset.police.uk or call 101. Crimestoppers can also be contacted anonymously via crimestoppers-uk.org or on 0800 555 111.
