A bloke has been forced to kip in his motor for two months after a head injury he claims was caused by a spiked drink. Keith Harborne, 38, spends most of his day in his Vauxhall Corsa as he can’t reach his top floor flat.
He’s asked the Bournville Village Trust to move him into a ground floor flat which he reckons is currently vacant. Despite shelling out £450 every month on his flat, it’s his car that’s become his makeshift bed and he’s even having to use the loo at a nearby Sainsbury’s.
Good-hearted neighbours have been bringing him hot drinks and grub – all this following an alleged spiking incident. Keith was watching the England vs Netherlands semi-final Euros match at a Birmingham city centre pub in July.
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He alleges a footie fan he met bought him a drink and since then, he’s been unable to “mobilise his legs” to climb the three flights of stairs to his flat in Bournville. Keith’s been given a mobility scooter, walking frame and wheelchair, but there’s no lift in his building and he suffers from vertigo, dizziness, nausea and vomiting.
(Image: Birmingham Live/BPM)
Bournville Village Trust said it was ‘concerned’ about him sleeping in his car, insisting it was working with agencies to find a solution, reports, Birmingham Live.
“It’s absolutely freezing and I can’t be out in the car any longer,” Keith lamented. “I am so cold it’s unreal… I haven’t been able to get up three flights of stairs into the flat. Bournville Village Trust have had reports from my occupational therapy and a few other things, but they’re not interested in moving me to a ground floor flat.”
“They’re fully aware I’m sleeping in the car because I can’t get up there but they’ve no interest in trying to help. We’re getting nowhere.”
Keith also shared his frustration over his health issues since an alleged spiking incident, saying, “I only knew the person from the night in question, we got talking watching the England game, he offered to buy me a drink, my partner had one as well.”
“But mine was the one that was spiked. Whether it was a laugh or to see how I reacted, I don’t know.”
(Image: Birmingham Live/BPM)
“An MRI scan showed a weep on the back of the head. There’s still ongoing investigations but it’s left me with vertigo where I can’t stand for long periods of time without going dizzy and lightheaded.”
Mr Harborne expressed his dissatisfaction with the housing situation, stating, “There’s a flat next door to me, which I’ve sent them an email regarding. They’ve come back saying: ‘We’ve got no obligation to rehome you.’ I said: ‘If I’m paying £450-a-month for a flat, surely I’m going to have to end that because I can’t get into it. They told me if I did, I would be making myself intentionally homeless.”
He elaborated: “I basically sit in this car throughout the day then my friend will come home, bring me dinner, bring it down and sit and talk with me then go back up and do his stuff.”
“To sleep, I am sat in the driver’s seat of my vehicle and I recline the seat right back into a sleeping position, then put the blanket over myself. When I go to Sainsbury’s, if a stranger isn’t willing to help me get the mobility scooter out the car then I don’t manage to do a shop.”
(Image: Birmingham Live/BPM)
“The security team have been quite good up at Sainsbury’s because I go there regularly to use their toilet. As and when people can get the mobility scooter out of the car on my behalf, other than that, I’m not getting about.”
Louise Kelly, Neighbourhood Services Manager at Bournville Village Trust, commented: “We are very sorry that Mr Harborne is continuing to experience poor health and that he is unhappy with the service he has received from us so far. We have been working with the various agencies involved to find a solution for Mr Harborne as quickly as possible and we are waiting for an occupational therapy assessment to take place.”
“Once we have the results of this assessment, we will be able to take further action to manage Mr Harborne’s housing needs. We are concerned to hear Mr Harborne is sleeping in his car. We will be continuing to work with Mr Harborne, and we will be speaking with him to understand if there is any support we can put in place immediately ahead of the occupational therapy assessment.”
Labour promised in its manifesto to create a new offence for spiking, but the King’s Speech this year lacked any specific details about such a crime. However, it did vow to enhance police response to these cases.
The Government has stated its intention to make spiking a distinct offence, despite it already being unlawful.
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