An elderly woman who was robbed of her purse while hearing Mass chased the two thieves outside church and managed to catch one of them.  

The incident happened yesterday evening during the 6.30pm Mass at St Helen’s basilica in Birkirkara. Police sources said that two men approached her and snatched her purse, thinking she was distracted. 

However, she gave them the chase and managed to catch 31-year-old Fabian Sciriha on the church parvis. His accomplice managed to get away with her purse and the €70 in it.

After calling her son to assist her, the woman took the thief to the police station herself where she filed a report.

Mr Sciriha, also accused of relapsing, filed a guilty plea in court today and was jailed for a year.

When delivering her judgment Magistrate Charmaine Galea urged the defendant to use his incarceration period to reform himself. She also recommended that the director of prison send Mr Sciriha to the forensic section at Mount Carmel Hospital, to receive the required treatment.

Lawyer Noel Bartolo was legal aid while police inspector Roderick Spiteri prosecuted.