THE 96-year-old woman assaulted and gagged in her home by masked raiders has vowed to return to her home.
The pensioner is expected to make a full recovery after being punched in the ribs during the attack in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Family friends say the pensioner is “fiercely independent” and won’t be “bullied by this scum.”
The elderly lady is still being treated at Letterkenny General Hospital as Gardai step up their hunt for her two attackers.
Gardai say a man wearing dark clothing and a balaclava had entered her house in Aghilly, Buncrana, through the kitchen window around 12.30am on Saturday.
We understand that Gardai believe her attacker – accompanied by a second man – is from the area.
The burglar punched the pensioner in the ribs before gagging her.
He left the house with her handbag containing some money and bank cards.
The woman managed to alert gardaí by activating her panic button.
Two men wearing dark clothes and speaking with local accents were seen leaving the area afterwards and heading in the direction of Tullydish.
Local TD Padraig MacLochlainn, who lives very close to the victim, says he believes the attackers knew the pensioner – and knew she was vulnerable.
“The Gardai have been very active on this investigation and I would appeal to anyone who might have seen these people hanging about to contact the Gardai.
“These scumbags need to be brought to justice and people must be allowed to sleep soundly in their houses,” he said.