ianstone
08-14-2010, 03:56 PM
Hero soldier foiled betting shop raid by chasing 'armed robber' who pointed gun at his face
By Daily Mail Reporter (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=y&authornamef=Daily+Mail+Reporter)
Last updated at 11:15 AM on 14th August 2010
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http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/08/14/article-0-0AC904BA000005DC-819_233x630.jpg Lance Corporal Jason Robinson has toured Iraq three times but found himself staring down the barrel of a gun held by a would- be robber in Birmingham
An off-duty soldier has been hailed a hero after he thwarted a terrifying raid on a betting shop.
Lance Corporal Jason Robinson, 26, was watching the horses at Ladbrokes, near his home in Solihull, when the bungling thief stormed in and demanded cash.
The soldier, who has served three tours of duty in the warzone of Iraq and is currently on leave from his regiment in Germany, heroically stepped in when the robber threatened the female cashiers.
Causing the robber to swing his attention onto him, Jason then found himself staring down the barrel of a gun.
But within seconds the wily soldier had realised the gun wasn't loaded and scared off the cowardly thief before giving chase.
The dad-of-one, who lives with his pregnant fiancee Sarah, said: 'I was watching the horses on TV when I heard a noise behind me.
'A man stormed in with a gun and shouted, 'hand over the money'.
'He pointed the gun at my face, but the I could hear a clipping sound. I don't know what he meant to do, or if he pressed the trigger by accident, but I knew then that it wasn't loaded.
'I saw the look on his face - he knew that it was empty.
'I felt a bit like Dirty Harry from the Clint Eastwood movies and I just shouted: 'Leave the girls alone and get out of the shop'. I just reacted on instinct.
'He went to run out of the shop so I ran after him, but then he tried to hit me.
'I saw he was running towards a car and I ran back to the shop to tell the ladies to ring the police. Then I ran back outside and took down the registration plate.
Jason is originally from the North East, but now lives in the West Midlands with Sarah and their two-year-old son Rhys.
He serves with the Queen's Royal Hussars, whose mission is to destroy enemy tanks and support the infantry in close combat.
He said: 'I have been to Iraq three times and mainly we were escorting convoys to Kuwait.
'I managed to dodge the trouble over there, but then came face-to-face with a gun in Birmingham.
'I just did what anybody else would have done. I guess I'm used to seeing guns and weapons, so I was able to see his gun wasn't loaded.'
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/08/14/article-0-0AC85654000005DC-204_468x371.jpg You can bet he's a hero: Jason foiled an armed robbery at the Ladbrokes Betting shop in Acocks Green village, Birmingham
A female member of staff at the bookies, who asked not to be named, said: 'Jason is so brave and he deserves recognition.
'We should appreciate the fact that not only do we have brave soldiers who risk their lives on duty, but who are willing to protect us in other situations.
'I've worked for Ladbrokes for 30 years and I've never before experienced anything like this.'
A 25-year-old man from Moseley, Birmingham, has since been charged with robbery and possessing an offensive weapon following an incident on Monday, August 3 and the attempted robbery on August 9.
He appeared before Birmingham magistrates on Wednesday and has been remanded in custody.
Read more: [URL]http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1303024/Hero-soldier-foils-armed-robbery-finds-gunpoint--Birmingham-bookies.html#ixzz0wc0Lokj3 (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1303024/Hero-soldier-foils-armed-robbery-finds-gunpoint--Birmingham-bookies.html)
By Daily Mail Reporter (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=y&authornamef=Daily+Mail+Reporter)
Last updated at 11:15 AM on 14th August 2010
[/URL]
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/08/14/article-0-0AC904BA000005DC-819_233x630.jpg Lance Corporal Jason Robinson has toured Iraq three times but found himself staring down the barrel of a gun held by a would- be robber in Birmingham
An off-duty soldier has been hailed a hero after he thwarted a terrifying raid on a betting shop.
Lance Corporal Jason Robinson, 26, was watching the horses at Ladbrokes, near his home in Solihull, when the bungling thief stormed in and demanded cash.
The soldier, who has served three tours of duty in the warzone of Iraq and is currently on leave from his regiment in Germany, heroically stepped in when the robber threatened the female cashiers.
Causing the robber to swing his attention onto him, Jason then found himself staring down the barrel of a gun.
But within seconds the wily soldier had realised the gun wasn't loaded and scared off the cowardly thief before giving chase.
The dad-of-one, who lives with his pregnant fiancee Sarah, said: 'I was watching the horses on TV when I heard a noise behind me.
'A man stormed in with a gun and shouted, 'hand over the money'.
'He pointed the gun at my face, but the I could hear a clipping sound. I don't know what he meant to do, or if he pressed the trigger by accident, but I knew then that it wasn't loaded.
'I saw the look on his face - he knew that it was empty.
'I felt a bit like Dirty Harry from the Clint Eastwood movies and I just shouted: 'Leave the girls alone and get out of the shop'. I just reacted on instinct.
'He went to run out of the shop so I ran after him, but then he tried to hit me.
'I saw he was running towards a car and I ran back to the shop to tell the ladies to ring the police. Then I ran back outside and took down the registration plate.
Jason is originally from the North East, but now lives in the West Midlands with Sarah and their two-year-old son Rhys.
He serves with the Queen's Royal Hussars, whose mission is to destroy enemy tanks and support the infantry in close combat.
He said: 'I have been to Iraq three times and mainly we were escorting convoys to Kuwait.
'I managed to dodge the trouble over there, but then came face-to-face with a gun in Birmingham.
'I just did what anybody else would have done. I guess I'm used to seeing guns and weapons, so I was able to see his gun wasn't loaded.'
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/08/14/article-0-0AC85654000005DC-204_468x371.jpg You can bet he's a hero: Jason foiled an armed robbery at the Ladbrokes Betting shop in Acocks Green village, Birmingham
A female member of staff at the bookies, who asked not to be named, said: 'Jason is so brave and he deserves recognition.
'We should appreciate the fact that not only do we have brave soldiers who risk their lives on duty, but who are willing to protect us in other situations.
'I've worked for Ladbrokes for 30 years and I've never before experienced anything like this.'
A 25-year-old man from Moseley, Birmingham, has since been charged with robbery and possessing an offensive weapon following an incident on Monday, August 3 and the attempted robbery on August 9.
He appeared before Birmingham magistrates on Wednesday and has been remanded in custody.
Read more: [URL]http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1303024/Hero-soldier-foils-armed-robbery-finds-gunpoint--Birmingham-bookies.html#ixzz0wc0Lokj3 (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1303024/Hero-soldier-foils-armed-robbery-finds-gunpoint--Birmingham-bookies.html)