Bold nun gets her burglar

A daring nun who tackled a burglar invading the sanctity of her convent was unwilling to let the invader get away without facing judgment.

Sister Dominica, the deputy principal nurse at Nazareth House in Christchurch, joined two other staff members in restraining the 34-year-old woman, who had been helping herself to possessions belonging to residents of the convent's resthome wing during Sunday Mass.

The intruder, wanted by police for burglaries at resthomes and schools, had been spotted at the convent several times before and always used the same stories about her car breaking down or needing a toilet.

"We had had enough after her coming in so many times and we had known who she was. We had a plan in place if she did come in again," Sister Dominica said.

The plan did not involve physically restraining the woman, but that is what was required after the burglar, who stashed stolen purses in a toilet cistern, was challenged.

"I grappled with her at first, but I couldn't do it on my own. She was too strong. It took three of us to hold her down."

The offender eventually managed to flee out the door but the trio caught up with her as a police car arrived.

Senior Sergeant Rob Patterson said: "They were pretty determined they wanted police to talk to this lady and the lady was pretty determined to leave, and the nuns won out."