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Clayton Park man beaten, robbed for his morphine prescription

Clayton Park man beaten, robbed for his morphine prescription

Four men beat up and robbed a 63-year-old wheelchair user in his Halifax home this week, and the victim says they were after his medication.

Tommy Hanna had just gone to lay down Monday evening when he heard a knock at the door. The person identified himself as Stephen and called Hanna by his nickname, so he opened the door to his Clayton Park apartment.

"I opened the door and they barged in. When they barged in, they pushed me back so they could get in. Flipped me over in my chair and struck me in the head," Hanna said.

All four men were about 25 and wore hoodies drawn tight around their faces. One man had rotten teeth.

Hanna said one man yelled, "We know you have lots of pills. Where are they?"

Hanna takes medically prescribed morphine, which he collects from a Spryfield drug store. He gave the intruders the few pills he had left, and a large amount of cash.

The four men continued beating Hanna, with one using a weapon to bash the back of his head. "They were punching, kicking, jumping on me. Cutting my arm, cutting my back," he said on Wednesday.

Hanna screamed for help, but no one heard him or came to his rescue. At one point, he feared he would die in the attack. "I was fading out. My head was just splitting, pounding. They wouldn't leave it alone. They seem to have gotten off on beating me."

He begged them to stop. After about five minutes, they left. "Before they left, one guy reached in and kicked me again."

"I don't advertise I'm on morphine, I don't sell my pills. I don't know how these fellows got onto me," he added.

He went to police, who started an investigation. Hanna fears he's suffering a concussion and worries the men will return. "I don't feel very safe."

Police seeking tips

He's got a "big" friend to stay with him a few days while police search for the attackers.

"How do people do that to another human being? It's wrong there are so many other ways to get your drug of choice. Why beat on the weak?" he asked.

"They deserve 20 years. A home invasion. Your home is where you're supposed to feel safe — especially in a wheelchair."

He doesn't know how they got into the secure building in the first place.

Const. Pierre Bourdages of Halifax Regional Police said officers came out Monday evening. He said the four attackers were white. One wore a bright orange hoodie.

"It happened in the evening, so we believe people may have seen these individuals coming or leaving the building," he said.

He asked anyone with information on the case to contact police with the tip.