Heartbreak at theft of £300 charity cash from gorilla man Jake
A grandfather has been left devastated after thieves targeted his home, taking hundreds of pounds destined for charity.
They made off with £300 from Jake Pearson who lives in Dudley.
The money had been raised for Cancer Research UK through public donations. They also stole his late wife Eileen’s earrings, who lost her life to breast cancer last year after a five-year battle, and Mr Pearson’s credit card. Mrs Pearson died from breast cancer last year after a five-year battle.
Retired lorry driver Mr Pearson, aged 75 , said: “It’s upsetting. I got up and the windows were open and the door was unlocked, the photograph of my grand-daughter near the fireplace had been removed and was on the floor.
“The first thing I thought was yes the money has gone and yes the earrings have gone – the money had gone out the cupboard, all £300.
“My wife had the earrings for many years. I must have disturbed them when I came down the stairs and put the lights on because that’s all they took.
“I’ve been here 20 years and nothing has happened like that before.”
His fundraising campaign has been based on the generosity of those passing a collection box in front of his home in Pensnett Road.
Life-scale models on his driveway, which included an 8ft gorilla and dinosaur, had helped raise the cash.
People gave a small donation for a selfie with the figures.
They models started to appear when Mr Pearson spotted a model dinosaur at an auction and later bought the gorilla online.
Mr Pearson had been fundraising for a year. Despite the £300 being stolen, he still has £200 left to give to the charity.
The choice has left his driveway something of an attraction with many stopping by to take ‘selfies’ with the models.
Mr Pearson, who has four grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren, said: “I’ve got two gorillas, a dinosaur, a tipper truck and I’m looking for a woolly mammoth, all for cancer research.
“I was going to cash the money in at the end of this month and donate it to the cancer research charity or put it towards a piece of cancer equipment at Russells Hall for the Georgina Ward.”
Mr Pearson has been in the news before for his belongings.
He has a personal collection of curios, which range from 14th century Arabic coins to a Sinclair C5. He put them on display to raise money for Russells Hall Hospital’s cancer ward.
Three years ago, the Express & Star reported on his collection of 1,000 different items.
He said: “I woke up one morning and recalled the old cast-iron range fire grate we used to have when I was a child so I decided to go out and buy one. I found and bought one that was originally from Himley Hall and it all started from there really.”
A West Midlands Police spokesman said the incident took place last Tuesday and was reported to them the next day. Forensic investigators have attended the address.
