Marlon Stewart committed 13 crimes in the space of about 20 minutes
This is the moment a have-a-go-hero shop worker tackling a gun-wielding robber who had held up staff at two different stores.
Niall Stranix, 61, put his mop down as balaclava-clad Marlon Stewart, 37, who threatening his female colleague and demanded money from the shop.
Niall, who was left with blood pouring from his head when Stewart struck him with a bottle, refused to give up even when the robber began punching him.
Footage captured on the store’s CCTV cameras show Niall grabbing Stewart from the back in a headlock.
The violent thief was then forced to flee the scene in his white Audi hatchback empty-handed, as Niall watched him leave from the shop’s car park.
During the struggle, Stewart’s face was revealed to CCTV cameras, which led to cops being able to identify him as the lead suspect.
He later pleaded guilty to robbery, firearms, assault and driving offences, and was on Monday jailed for ten years when he appeared at Leeds Crown Court.
Detective Inspector Ryan Malyk, of West Yorkshire Police, praised Niall’s bravery.
“Despite not knowing if the gun he was holding was real or not, he showed tremendous courage in taking him on,” he said after the sentencing.
“And it was his actions that directly led to Stewart’s face being captured on CCTV and him being identified as the suspect.
“We hope that the significant prison sentence that Stewart has received will provide some comfort to all the victims as well as some reassurance to the wider community to know that he is safely off the streets.”
Stewart committed 13 crimes in the space of about 20 minutes on the evening of 19 July last year, after buying vodka in a shop near Chapel Allerton Park, Leeds.
He first confronted three 19-year-old males and robbed two of them of their mobile phones after showing them a handgun in his waistband.
Masked Stewart then entered a Premier shop carrying the vodka bottle and threatened staff at the counter with what appeared to be a handgun at 8.06pm.
While he was forcing the victim to open the till, a woman customer entered the shop and Stewart approached her and threatened her to hand over the keys to her car.
The staff member managed to escape while Stewart was distracted.
He then stole cash from the till and left the scene in the woman’s white Audi A1.
Minutes later, Stewart struck at a nearby One Stop store.
Again, with his face masked and pointing the pistol, he terrified the woman member of staff behind the counter. But while he was angrily making demands for money, staff member Niall, who had been mopping the floor, had seen enough and decided to intervene.
Despite the masked offender being armed with a handgun, Niall pounced on him and grabbed him in a headlock.
Stewart lashed out with a bottle striking Niall on the head, causing two cuts.
But Niall held onto him during an intense struggle despite knowing the robber was still holding the gun.
The pistol had started to break apart as the two fought and was later believed to have been a plastic BB gun.
He was forced to flee the scene empty-handed with Niall still in pursuit.
The stolen Audi was reported by members of the public being driven dangerously in Roundhay Road a short time later, colliding with a barrier, swerving in and out of traffic and running red lights.
The two men who had been robbed in Chapel Allerton Park contacted police to report the incident shortly before 9pm, and it was then linked to the other offences.
Detectives launched an investigation and Stewart was quickly identified as the suspect and he was arrested on September 29.
On Monday he was given an extended sentence of ten years and four months imprisonment with an extended licence period of five years.
Detective Inspector Ryan Malyk added: “Stewart put all these victims through some really frightening experiences when he carried out these robberies over a very short space of time. “He was clearly desperate and dangerous, and those who encountered him were put in genuine fear when he confronted them at gunpoint.”
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