A woman suffering PTSD after being mugged at gunpoint has told of her "uncontrollable stress" after her car was stolen from her driveway.
Marilyn Bensted, 56, who lives near Mile Cross in Norwich, had her two-week-old Kia Sportage stolen from her front drive on Saturday, April 24.
Three days later the car was recovered over 140 miles away in Rotherham - and just 30 miles from the place in Castleford where it was bought and transported from.
She said: "I bought it with my mum's inheritance money when she died with Covid. We buried her three days before Christmas and it took us months to find a car we wanted.
"It was supposed to symbolise the new me and make me feel safe: a fresh start sort of thing.
"I work in Asda petrol station on Drayton Road, and have been suffering from PTSD since June 2019 when I was attacked along with a colleague while we were locking up.
"Men in masks held guns to our neck and made us hand over our bags. It was terrifying.
"I've had counselling sessions since then, couldn't leave my house for months and still don't feel comfortable going out on my own anymore."
The car arrived at Ms Bensted's house in Norwich on April 9 and was stolen two weeks later.
Norfolk Police confirmed they were investigating the theft.
South Yorkshire police are also involved.
Ms Bensted continued: "It's just been so unbelievably stressful.
"My husband saw it being reversed out of the drive at speed at 5.30am in the morning just after he got up for work. It went so quick over the ramp in our road the car actually left the ground.
"My husband and daughter went after it in their own cars but didn't manage to catch up."
Ms Bensted and her husband Brian, also 56, will now have to pay for the car's recovery from Sheffield and a new ignition and security system for the £18,250 Kia.
"Our insurer won't cover it unless we get new locks and security because it's a 'marked car' now, and the keyless fob could have been copied and possibly used again", Ms Bensted said.
"At least we have the car and there's no real damage, but it's going to cost us thousands to sort this all out."
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