'I thought they were going to kill me'

The comedy world has rallied to the aid of critic Kate Copstick after she was attacked in the street by muggers who stole £8,500 in charity takings.

Supporters including Jason Manford and Michael McIntyre –  and dozens of other well-wishers – have now made up the loss… and then some.

The total raised by the GoFundMe appeal to replace the money – destined to help women in need in Kenya through her organisation Mama Biashara – this morning stands at almost £11,500.

Manford contributed £2,000 and McIntyre £1,000 according to the public list of donors on the page.

Copstick was attacked on Saturday night by two men in balaclavas while taking the cash from her Mama Biashara shop in Shepherd’s Bush to her nearby home, ready to take it out to Kenya today.

They grabbed her, put her in a chokehold, and when she screamed out, kicked her in the back of the leg, causing her to fall to the ground.

They ripped open her backpack, and leaving her phone and purse on the floor, took only the envelope of cash and ran.

She said: ‘I was walking home, it wasn’t very late and the street I live on is very well lit. I heard running behind me and turned to see the kind of outfit you only normally see in TV dramas – someone dressed head-to-toe in black, with a full -face balaclava.

‘He grabbed for my bag and I began to scream and shout for help, he put me in a chokehold and suddenly a second man – dressed exactly the same – appeared. I thought they were going to kill me.

‘They kicked me to the ground, took the money and ran. I live in a not-posh area of Shepherd’s Bush – there is crime, there are muggings, but it’s generally kids looking to steal a few quid – not full-grown men essentially dressed like ninjas.

‘They didn’t take anything else, which sadly means I was very likely targeted, and that someone knew I would be carrying a significant amount of charity cash with me. I’m talking to the police about that now."

Mama Biashara works with the poorest and most marginalised people in Kenya, providing grants to set up small, sustainable businesses that bring financial independence and security. The charity also offers  training and employment in everything from phone repairs to manicures, has built a children’s home, which it still support, and  creates water-harvesting solutions for drought-devastated areas.

Copstick says she has to travel to Kenya  with cash because of repeated issues accessing money from a UK bank while there. Transactions are often falsely flagged as dubious and it can take days for holds on the account to be lifted

Copstick, 66, appeared  on children's TV shows Playschool and No. 73 in the 1980s, and ChuckleVision in the 1990s, and was a Perrier Comedy Award judge in 2003 and 2004 as well as her reviewing work with The Scotsman.

Published: 4 Sep 2022