Nan, 101, in home terror
A GREAT grandmother known as “Nan” in the Charters Towers community has been left terrified after thieves broke into her home twice in one week while she was asleep.
Pearl Perry, who is 101 years old, lives in a granny flat below her daughter’s house and is now scared of being by herself.
Daughter Kay Douglas, 74, said her mother had relocated upstairs temporarily as she felt unsafe in her own home.
“She’s 101 and she doesn’t need this at this time of her life,” Mrs Douglas said.
Thieves stole cash and five diamond rings when they broke into the great grandmother’s house last Friday.
“They took about $ 500 of her pension out of her handbag,” Mrs Douglas said.
She said her mother was most upset about losing precious family heirlooms. “Two ( rings) belonged to her mother and one belonged to her aunty,” Mrs Douglas said.
The “sweet- tooth” offender jemmied open the back door of the granny flat and took chocolates out of the fridge before leaving.
“They left a paper trail out on the footpath,” Mrs Douglas said.
Thieves returned three days later via the bathroom window, stealing Ms Perry’s mobile phone and 32inch television.
“I had bought ( Mum) a mobile phone. She likes to listen to ABC radio if she can’t sleep and had ( the phone) on her pillow next to her head,” Mrs Douglas said. “They took it while she was asleep.”
Mrs Douglas said her mother was a strong woman.
“She’s coping fairly well, better than most 101- year- olds would.
“She’s very thankful for all the lovely messages she’s getting from everybody and the reassurance that the community is on her side.”
The mother of two, grandmother to seven and great- grandmother to 14 spends five mornings a week having coffee and a chat at her great nephew’s bakery in Charters Towers.
“Just about everyone calls her Nan, she’s very well known,” Mrs Douglas said.
The great- grandmother was still living alone at 100 years old until she broke her hip in January and relocated to her daughter’s granny flat.
“She can walk with a walking frame, she doesn’t have Alzheimer’s or dementia and she’s having a fairly good quality of life,” Mrs Douglas said.
Granddaughter Tania Douglas, 45, said her father had installed deadlocks, bars and security mesh to secure the granny flat.
“Poor old Nan is a bit scared. You don’t want to be 101 years old and thinking you’re not safe,” Ms Douglas said.
“I’m just disappointed that she has to live like this now when she is that age.”
Charters Towers police Sergeant Paul Breitkreuz said there were no named suspects.
“Police are very concerned that the majority of recent offences of burglaries seem to be occurring when victims are at home,” Sgt Breitkreuz said.