Eumemmerring resident Phil Kerford said his street had been deeply saddened by the loss of one of their neighbours, who lay dead for five weeks before being discovered.By Rebecca Fraser
NEIGHBOURS have expressed sadness after the body of a 66-year-old Eumemmerring woman was discovered in her home five weeks after her death.
Brougham Close resident Phil Kerford said the street was extremely upset by the circumstances surrounding the woman’s death, calling the situation an absolute tragedy.
But Mr Kerford was quick to defend the actions of his street and said neighbours had tried on many occasions to keep in contact with the deceased and offer her assistance and company.
He said these gestures had been turned down, the 66-year-old had become increasingly withdrawn over the years and it had become very difficult to offer any help.
“My wife and other female neighbours tried on many occasions over the years to keep in contact with the deceased,” Mr Kerford said.
“Unfortunately they could not even get the lady to answer her door even though she could be sighted through the window.
“It was very hard to get close to her.
“I am saddened by this but I don’t feel uncomfortable because I know we all did as much as we could.”
Mr Kerford said neighbours rarely saw the deceased woman outside and the only activity they had noticed in the past few years was a pizza delivery man and a taxi coming to occasionally collect the woman.
“Not seeing her for weeks was the norm,” he said.
“Her family tried to encourage her to go into a nursing home with proper care but she did not want any of that.”
As reported in the News last week, Acting Sergeant Graeme Stanley of Endeavour Hills Police had said neighbours had noticed a strange odour coming from the house but had not alerted police.
“It just smelt like a normal gas leak to begin with and we did not think anything of it,” Mr Kerford said.
“But then we put two and two together and thought something was up.
“On the day she was discovered it was one of the neighbours who contacted her son suspecting something was wrong.
“When the son arrived he forced his way into his mother’s house and on discovering the body he contacted police.
“It is all very well to infer that we should all be better neighbours, but in this case it is offensive to both her family and neighbours as they tried to help only to be shunned away,” Mr Kerford said.
“When a person becomes a recluse for whatever reason it is very difficult to help them.”
Mr Kerford said his now adult children had grown up with and had gone to school with the deceased woman’s children.
“We really did try,” he said. “None of us live in each other’s pockets but we are all very neighbourly and look out for one another.
“She was very much a recluse, and I mean you see it on TV but you never expect it to happen in your own street.
“Finding your mother like that is just terrible and everyone just did as much as they could.
“Tell us, what we could have done better?”
The News contacted the woman’s son but he did not want to speak about his mother’s death or release her name.
