Dad dies of heart attack after confronting yobs

13 April 2012

A married father-of-two collapsed and died of a heart attack minutes after confronting a group of yobs for vandalising his wife's car.

Ian Goulson, 45, chased the group of teenagers down the street in just his socks after they smashed the window of his wife, Julie's car, which was parked outside their home.

Although police are investigating the incident, officers said they are not treating Mr Goulson's death as suspicious and no-one has been arrested for the damage to his car.

But last night Mrs Goulson said she held the 'despicable' teenagers who vandalised her car 'morally responsible' for her husband's fatal heart attack.

'These vandals have not just damaged my property but my life,' Mrs Goulson, 42, said.

'Morally, they are responsible. Their actions led to the stress which was a contributing factor to Ian's heart attack. 'They are fully aware of the consequences of their actions, aware of the fact that not only have I lost my husband but my children have lost their father.

'I feel the youths of today are just despicable.

"They have no regard for hard-working, decent, honest, law-abiding citizens. Their parents need to instill some sort of discipline. But even if the police did find these culprits, there's nothing the law can do."

The tragedy happened shortly after 10pm on Saturday evening when the couple's daughter, Rebecca, 17, spotted a group of youths smashing the window of Mrs Goulson's car.

Wearing just his socks Mr Goulson, a head chef at a country hotel in Cheshire, chased the boys from his home, in Cheadle Heath, Cheshire, into a nearby convenience store.

A row erupted between Mr Goulson and the boys, who claimed they were innocent. After the argument Mr Goulson went home and called police.

He returned to the shop with officers to seize CCTV footage, but started feeling ill and complaining of chest pains.

'Ian was then leaning on the railings and saying he felt unwell with chest pains,' Mrs Goulson added.

'We started to walk back home and when we got to the front door Ian said he needed to be sick.

'I told him he had just run down the road and he had adrenaline around his body and that he needed to take some deep breaths. I asked him if he wanted an ambulance and at that point he said no.'

Mr Goulson went upstairs to lie down, but collapsed. Mrs Goulson and police officers tried to resuscitate him, but he was already dead by the time her arrived at Stepping Hill Hospital, Stockport.

Yesterday residents said the area was plagued with gangs of youths vandalising property.

Only the day before, Mrs Goulson said her youngest child, 15-year-old Ashley, had been punched and mugged of the day's takings from the greengrocer's where he worked as he walked home.

She said she now feared she and her children would lose their home without her husband's wage coming in.

'Ian was very family oriented and he would defend us to the hilt. It has cost him his life this time,' she added.

A spokeswoman for Greater Manchester police said no-one had been arrested in connection with the damage to the vehicle and Mr Goulson's death was not being treated as suspicious.

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