An elderly nun who was run over by her own car when a thief struck has said she hopes her attacker can turn over a new leaf - and she holds no grudge.
CCTV footage shows Sister Louise Gilbey being dragged under the blue Hyundai outside a Post Office in Liverpool on March 11.
She had briefly got out of her parked car near Booker Avenue Post Office in Holmefield Road, Allerton, to post a letter at around 10.05am, reports the Liverpool Echo.
But she'd left the car unlocked and the keys in the ignition, and in the few seconds she was away an opportunist carjacker had nipped in and was ready to drive off.
The plucky nun ran back and pulled open the driver side door to confront the offender but he started reversing and she was knocked over.
The thief backed straight into a car behind him and then drove off as Sr. Louise pulled herself off the ground.
But drawing on her faith, she later said she doesn't wish the man any harm.
Louise, originally from Ireland, worked for the NHS as a nurse and midwife for many years in the city before becoming a nurse-manager at Marymount Nursing Home.
She mainly uses the car to visit elderly housebound parishioners who can no longer attend mass to bring them Holy Communion each week.
She said: "People say that crime can be bad in the city, but I have seen the other side of it, and I have always thought about how kind the people in this city are.
"I blame myself for this, forgetting for a brief moment that I had left the keys in the car. This car is my lifeline, I wasn't thinking, I was just desperate to save it."
She added: "I don't wish him any harm, I just hope he doesn't use the car to hurt anyone, it could have been a lot worse for me.
"I would love him to find a different way of life, he can't be happy having to do stuff like that."
Sr. Louise said there are many programmes that can help the man live a decent life.
"No mother wants their child to be like that, you want them to be good, you aren't brought into the world to act in such a way.
"It would be wonderful to find him the help he needs to live a better life."
The sister said she "genuinely" believes it was God who "helped and saved me".
"I knew I was going under the car - how nothing more serious happened to me I don’t know," she added.
Staff in the Post Office rushed outside to help Louise and offered her a cup of tea while the police arrived - to which she said she was very grateful.
Police are now appealing for witnesses to the incident.
Inspector Paul Rennard said stealing a car is a "despicable offence" as it can majorly inconvenience the rightful owner, including stopping them getting to work or the shops.
He added that it was by "sheer good fortune" that Louise wasn't injured.
Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact @MerPolCC on Twitter or ' Merseyside Police Contact Centre' on Facebook with reference 22000247479.
You can also call 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously on 0800 555 111, or their online form at: Give information | Crimestoppers ( crimestoppers-uk.org )
You can view information on preventing vehicle theft online here: https://www.merseyside.police.uk/cp/crime-prevention/keeping-vehicles-safe/vehicle-safe-and-sound/
