A terminally ill mother has chased a group of teenage thieves who allegedly tried to steal her car out of the driveway of her north-west home.
Kellie McElligott, 48, woke to find three teenagers raiding her Ascot Vale home for her car keys in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
The mother of three, who has ovarian cancer, said her dream had always been to own a Mercedes Benz.
Three months ago, her husband bought one for her.
“I’m suffering from cancer – he decided to buy me one because I wanted it all my life,” Ms McElligott told Nine News. After discovering the thieves, Ms McElligott woke her husband, Gerard, and the couple chased the alleged offenders, who fled the house empty-handed.
“I yelled at them, ‘What are you doing, get out’ and then I called out for my husband to come,” she said.
“It’s just amazing when adrenalin kicks in what you can do.”
Mr McElligott said the couple was still reeling from the attempted robbery.
“We’ve gone through enough – we don’t need this,” he said.
Police believe the same teenagers were involved in another aggravated burglary at an Essendon house an hour later.
In that incident, it is alleged two teenagers broke into the Lorraine Street house about 5.30am. Various items are alleged to have been stolen including phones, purses and the owner’s car.
A 17-year-old male from Burnside Heights and a 15-year-old male from Kurunjang have been charged with home invasion and theft of motor vehicle.
Both have been remanded to appear in a children’s court at a later date.
…
The Age
