A feisty 91-year-old great grandmother has defended her home from a thief, chasing the intruder out and retrieving some of her items from him.
Joanna De Loryn – who goes by the name Jopie – was taking out her bins at her Holland Park West home when she spotted an intruder in the kitchen, who had entered by cutting through a bedroom screen door.
“I thought he should not have my stuff, and the cheek of them, to come in my house,” Jopie told Nine.
“So I went after him and I grabbed my handbag, and I ran after him over on the patio … I should have tossed the flowerpot on top of him, but I didn’t.”
Jopie said despite her efforts, the intruder left with some irreplaceable items, including her engagement and anniversary rings, and a watch given to her by her late husband, Bart.
“I yelled out at him – I won’t say the word,” she said. Upon being prompted, she revealed she’d called the thief a “dirty bastard”.
“They don’t know how much it meant to a person – you can buy another ring but it’s not the same.”
Jopie’s family were concerned about the potential danger of her actions, although community members had rallied around the 91-year-old.
“I’ve been living in this house for 65 years … we’ve got so many friends and neighbours and it’s great,” she said.
To the intruder, Jopie said: “Go and get yourself a job.”
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