Knife-wielding thief chugs beer after storeowner traps him in shutters

close

Video

English shop owner traps would-be thief under store's front shutter

A thief found himself the victim when the store owner he tried to rob managed to trap him until police could arrive.

A robber in England was sentenced to three years in jail this week for attempted robbery, but it was only thanks to the quick thinking of his victim that he ended up in police custody in the first place. 

"It wasn’t the most difficult arrest we have ever made. To be honest, it was an open and shut case," Detective Sergeant Paul Mawson of Durham Constabulary told The Northern Echo. 

Martin Trimble, 30, walked into a convenience store last month in Durham City with a knife.

He picked up a four-pack of beer and used his knife to threaten the store owner. Rather than let Trimble walk away, the store owner ran outside and closed the door, holding it tight and trapping his thief inside. 

AUSTRIAN COURT RULES IN FAVOR OF UKRAINIAN BUSINESSMAN IN CORRUPTION CASE

Durham Constabulary Police Headquarters is pictured in Durham, north east England, on May 25, 2020. - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday failed to draw a line under a scandal over his top aide Dominic Cummings allegedly breaching coronavirus rules as pressure mounted on the Brexit mastermind to go. Cummings is alleged to have broken the rules by leaving his London home to stay with his parents in Durham, northeast England. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP) (Photo by ) (Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images)

The shop owner, who remained unnamed, then lowered the storefront shutter in an effort to make sure Trimble couldn’t escape. 

Trimble tried to avoid capture again by breaking the door free of the shop owner’s grip and trying to slip out before the shutter had fully descended. 

UK REPORT FINDS FORMER PRIME MINISTER BORIS JOHNSON LIED TO PARLIAMENT OVER ‘PARTYGATE’ SCANDAL

A brave shopkeeper foiled a knifepoint robbery by trapping the intruder under the store’s roller shutters. (Durham Constabulary)

But the shutter was too low and Trimble found himself pinned to the ground – his torso outside and open to the streets. 

Realizing he was beaten, Trimble cracked open one of the beers he tried to steal and drank it while he waited for the police to take him away. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

Officers arrived within three minutes of receiving the call and arrested Trimble. He pled guilty to charge of attempted robbery and possession of a knife and sentenced on June 16 to prison.