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| Widow traps intruder with crutch | Widow traps intruder with crutch |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| An 86-year-old who found an intruder in her kitchen whacked him with her crutch and held him until police arrived. | An 86-year-old who found an intruder in her kitchen whacked him with her crutch and held him until police arrived. |
| Widow Gwyneth Davies, from Treharris, near Merthyr Tydfil, struck the man four times with the metal walking stick she uses after having a fractured hip. | Widow Gwyneth Davies, from Treharris, near Merthyr Tydfil, struck the man four times with the metal walking stick she uses after having a fractured hip. |
| The former munitions worker said: "He was left bent over the work surface with his face buried in his hands - he didn't know what had hit him." | The former munitions worker said: "He was left bent over the work surface with his face buried in his hands - he didn't know what had hit him." |
| * A 26-year-old man has been remanded in custody, charged with burglary. | |
| Mrs Davies told of how she struck out when she found a man in her kitchen at her terraced home. | Mrs Davies told of how she struck out when she found a man in her kitchen at her terraced home. |
| She said: "He was right in front of me and he must have thought I would be no match for him. | She said: "He was right in front of me and he must have thought I would be no match for him. |
| "But I had my metal crutch with me and it turned into a very useful weapon. | "But I had my metal crutch with me and it turned into a very useful weapon. |
| "I lashed out at him with it and as he turned away from me I whacked him four times across the back. | "I lashed out at him with it and as he turned away from me I whacked him four times across the back. |
| I was brought up with six brothers and put on the boxing gloves to spar with them Gwyneth Davies takes the gloves off | I was brought up with six brothers and put on the boxing gloves to spar with them Gwyneth Davies takes the gloves off |
| "He was stunned and pretending to cry - it was better than going to the pictures. | "He was stunned and pretending to cry - it was better than going to the pictures. |
| "He was whimpering and I told him to sit on the kitchen stool and not to move." | "He was whimpering and I told him to sit on the kitchen stool and not to move." |
| Mrs Davies, who has recently recovered from broken ribs, a fractured hip and double pneumonia, dialled 999 and said: "I've just caught a burglar." | Mrs Davies, who has recently recovered from broken ribs, a fractured hip and double pneumonia, dialled 999 and said: "I've just caught a burglar." |
| "When the police arrived they couldn't believe what I'd done. They were all asking me if I was all right - I told them: 'You're asking the wrong one!'." | "When the police arrived they couldn't believe what I'd done. They were all asking me if I was all right - I told them: 'You're asking the wrong one!'." |
| 'Straight-talking' | 'Straight-talking' |
| Mrs Davies, who was widowed 20 years ago, worked at London's Woolwich arsenal during World War II, handling landmines, fuses and detonators. | Mrs Davies, who was widowed 20 years ago, worked at London's Woolwich arsenal during World War II, handling landmines, fuses and detonators. |
| After the war she transferred to a munitions factory in Bridgend, before becoming a care assistant in a residential home. | After the war she transferred to a munitions factory in Bridgend, before becoming a care assistant in a residential home. |
| But she said an upbringing with six brothers gave her the strength and courage to tackle the intruder. | But she said an upbringing with six brothers gave her the strength and courage to tackle the intruder. |
| She said: "I'm not frightened of anything really - I always been able to take care of myself. | She said: "I'm not frightened of anything really - I always been able to take care of myself. |
| "I was brought up with six brothers and put on the boxing gloves to spar with them. And I played darts and football." | "I was brought up with six brothers and put on the boxing gloves to spar with them. And I played darts and football." |
| Her niece Cherie Jenkins, 54, said she had not been fazed by what happened. | Her niece Cherie Jenkins, 54, said she had not been fazed by what happened. |
| "My aunt is a remarkable woman - she's straight-talking, too straight-talking for her own good sometimes," she said. | "My aunt is a remarkable woman - she's straight-talking, too straight-talking for her own good sometimes," she said. |