Pensioner takes matters into her own hands

Two young burglars got more than they bargained for when they attempted to rob an old woman while she was present in her home.

The court was told how 79-year-old Joan Parmenter was watching television at the time when the incident happened.

She was alerted to a number of loud bangs coming from the front of the property and upon investigation found the two brothers, Luke and Lee Clay, standing in her front room.

The pensioner was hit on the head by Luke but struck back by landing a punch on the assailant’s jaw.

The intruders, who were under the influence of alcohol at the time, were so taken aback that they fled the house and didn’t see notice an oncoming vehicle on the road.

Sophie Buckthorpe, the driver of the car, managed to call the police as the burglars ran away. They were both later caught and sentenced to eight months each in jail for burglary. A further four months was added to Luke’s term on account of common assault.

While Miss Parmenter’s actions were certainly commendable, it is worth looking into preventing this kind of thing from happening in the first place. These days there are a number of affordable home security solutions to minimise the threat posed to you and your property.