Robber battered by judo expert

LONDON - A robber wanted to make an easy exit after robbing a British bookmaker’s store but he threatened the wrong man - a judo expert. The judoka crashed a chair on the robber’s head and then pinned him to the ground till police arrived.

Fortyeight-year-old Martin Richardson, who weighs over 110 kg and is powerfully built, pounced on Azar Sulman who was armed with a gun.

Richardson stood his ground with his hands in his pockets before attacking Sulman, 20, Daily Mail reported Friday.

He then used a judo move to pin him to the ground and didn’t leave him for seven minutes until police arrived. The incident took place in William Hill bookmakers’ branch in Leeds.

Judge Scott Wolstenholme praised Richardson for his “tremendous courage” and awarded him 250 pounds. Sulman was sent to a young offenders’ institution for six years.

Richardson said he tackled the robber as he was in a “bad mood” after failing to win anything in the bookmakers. “He (Sulman) wanted me to open the door and kept shouting he would shoot me if I did not open it.

“I looked him in the eyes… he was just a few feet from me. I thought `if he shoots me, he shoots me, but I am not opening the door.”

He added: “I lost it because I hate to be threatened. The adrenaline was running as I picked up the chair and smashed him twice with it, but once I had him down I started to shake because it hit home how dangerous it was.”