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A postman was sacked by Royal Mail after leaving an elderly woman lying on her doorstep in the snow.
Thomas McCafferty ignored the pleas for help from Patricia Stewart, 72, as she lay on the steps of her home.
The shocking moment was captured on her neighbour’s doorbell camera which disgusted Patricia’s family.
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When she asked for help, the postman said: “I can’t help pal, I’m knackered. Absolutely knackered.” He left without even calling for help.
The incident happened at Patricia’s home in Falkirk, Scotland, last February in freezing conditions.
Patricia told the Daily Record: “The postman had just delivered two very small parcels for me and he had left them on the step.
“When I went to get them I felt a bit dizzy and I just went down from the top step.
“The postman was walking away so he didn’t see the fall but I shouted for help and I asked if he could help me get up, but he just said he was knackered and walked off and left me there lying in snow.
“I was lying there for a wee while, I was absolutely soaking wet and freezing.”
Patricia’s niece Sheryl Harkins, who shared the footage online, told the Daily Record: “When I got told about the situation I though there must be something not right here, there must be a misunderstanding.
“It wasn’t until the neighbour sent the video footage and I saw and heard it that I realised – it beggars belief. I’m so disgusted.
“Thankfully my aunt’s okay and she was found not long after, because it could have been a much more serious situation.”
Patricia was on the ground for 20 minutes after the postman left, before a Hermes delivery driver discovered her and called a neighbour for help.
They got Patricia back up and into her house before calling an ambulance to check her over.
Patricia said: “I couldn’t believe it, even if he didn’t want to touch me because of covid he could have gone and got help.
“All my neighbours were in, but they couldn’t hear me when I was shouting.
“I’m still a bit sore. My head is sore from where I fell and banged it, but the paramedics came and checked me over but the lump was as big as an egg.”
Niece Sheryl, 36, has been looking after her aunt Patricia since she took another bad fall in December and she has been checking up on her every four hours.
Patricia has since been diagnosed with the bone disease Osteoporosis.
Sheryl said she hates to think what would have happened if the Hermes delivery driver hadn’t arrived and helped her aunt.
Sheryl said: “If it wasn’t for her she could have potentially lay there for three hours because I wasn’t due to come back over until 4pm.
“It could have been a very different situation if she hadn’t turned up when she did.
“The gentleman has obviously not got any morals to be able to do that to an elderly lady.
“I went through every emotion yesterday. Initially it was anger, then I was upset. I’m so shocked.”
Sheryl says a Royal Mail area manager visited Patricia to apologise in person and bring her chocolates.
She said: “They asked if she’s okay and he came down to extend their offer of anything they can do to help.
“I told the man that we do not expect to see that guy down here delivering mail ever again.
“They assured us that it is something that will be dealt with and it’s not something they are going to brush under the carpet.
Patricia added: “I can’t believe the postman just left me there, no one should ever just leave someone that is lying on the ground hurt.
“I wouldn’t want this to happen to anyone else.”
A Royal Mail spokesman said: “We can confirm that the individual concerned has left the business. We are sorry for the distress this incident has caused.”
