A good Samaritan was reunited yesterday at the Bermuda Bravery Award ceremony with the woman whose wallet he retrieved from a thief.

Christopher Thomas, 36, an employee at Holmes Williams and Purvey, witnessed Carleen Currie open her wallet and give a persistent beggar money on North Shore Road, Devonshire. He approached Ms Currie, a private duty nurse, and warned her not to give the beggar money. Ms Currie then went into a grocery store.

On her way back home she passed the beggar again. Mr. Thomas was still nearby and feared the beggar would harass her again, so he offered to walk her home. The beggar followed them. Mr. Thomas saw Ms Currie enter her gate into her garden and thought she would then be safe. He looked around and saw that the beggar was nowhere in sight.

He left Ms Currie and continued to Devonshire dock. A few moments later he heard screams and ran back to Ms Currie's gate. When he reached the gate he saw the beggar grabbing the wallet from Ms Currie's hands in her garden.

Mr. Thomas stood at the gate with his arms up to stop the thief who was now trying to escape by motorcycle. Mr. Thomas knocked the thief off his bike and struggled with him to try to retrieve the wallet.

The wallet dropped to the ground and Mr. Thomas said to Ms Currie: "Grab it, grab it." Ms Currie picked up the wallet and the thief escaped.

When Mr. Thomas saw that Ms Currie was safe he left her to return back to the dock to go fishing. Ms Currie went into her house to report the incident to the Police.

At yesterday's ceremony Ms Currie told The Royal Gazette: "I had everything in that wallet. I would have been devastated if I had not gotten it back. Thanks to Christopher I did. Bravery is a rare quality."

Ms Currie said of the beggar: "The word desperation comes to mind. He was desperate to get money. I hope that he gets help, but I'm not sure if he will."

Of his bravery, Mr. Thomas said: "I just felt it was something I had to do."

Neither Mr. Thomas nor Ms Currie were hurt in the ordeal.

The beggar was later detained for a similar offence.