For her part in the burglary, Kathleen O'Neill (20), of no fixed address, was sentenced to three years in jail when she appeared at Nottingham Crown Court.
O'Neill had convinced the elderly woman to let her into her home on Bestwood Road in Februa
ry.
Having knocked on the back door of the house, O'Neill told the pensioner she was visiting from the local church.
O'Neill then walked through the house and let a male accomplice in through the front door.
The pensioner struggled with the man but he managed to overpower her and steal the handbag.
O'Neill and the man then fled but O'Neill was arrested minutes later. The pensioner was left extremely shaken.
Pc Janet Percival, who led the investigation, said: "Burglaries such as this can have a serious long-term impact on the elderly and vulnerable. Many lose their confidence and trust in people, simply because of someone else's greed.
"For someone to purposely target the elderly is appalling, and to steal from them in their own homes is lower than low.
"Thankfully, O'Neill has been locked up for a significant period of time. Hopefully this will give her time to think about what she has done and make her change her ways."
The full article contains 235 words and appears in Hucknall Dispatch newspaper.
