Punter halted betting shop raider

Leeds Crown Court heard yesterday Azar Sulman had already targeted the William Hill shop in Kirkstall Road, Leeds, once, and the Hyde Park Road branch on two previous occasions before he returned there again on January 28.

But this time when he brandished a pistol at terrified staff the court heard the raider met his match in 38-year-old Martin Richardson.

After checking outside that the robber did not have any accomplices Mr Richardson closed the door to keep him inside and then struck him in the face with a chair.

Michael Smith, prosecuting, said when that did not appear to have any effect on Sulman, Mr Richardson struck him again. This time he went down and the customer grabbed his wrist forcing him to drop the weapon, kicking it out of reach before sitting on him until help arrived.

The gun turned out to be an air pistol but Mr Richardson told police he felt he had to act: "I was scared, I couldn't be certain whether the gun was real or not, I thought the male might shoot me anyway for getting in his way."

Sentencing Sulman to six years in a young offender institution, Judge Scott Wolstenholme paid tribute to Mr Richardson's bravery and awarded him 250 from public funds.

Sulman 20, of Brudenell Road, Headingley, admitted three charges of robbery and one of attempted robbery.

The court heard he was a model student while attending Notre Dame College in Leeds but had then turned to crime to pay off drug debts.

Judge Wolstenholme said he was an intelligent young man with good prospects who had brought shame on his family because he was also "an immature fantasist who did not think through the consequences of his actions".

At one point he admitted spending up to 200 a week on cannabis and said he was then advised to commit robberies by his dealer to pay debts.

The judge told him courts had to deter those targeting premises such as off licences and bookmakers "because through greed they see them as soft targets."

One woman employee had been so traumatised by her ordeal she had given up working at the bookmakers.

Mr Smith said Sulman first struck on November 26 at the Hyde Park Road premises when staff were getting ready to close.

Cashier Emily Porecka was suddenly aware of a man wearing a scarf to disguise his features who said "Give me your money."

He had a gun pointing at her chest and gestured to where the manageress Patricia White, 41, was standing and again demanded money. He made off with 355.

On December 22 he struck at the Kirkstall Road branch, again with a scarf over his face, pointing the gun at Lee Monaghan and Leanne Brierley. He demanded they open the safe but was told no money was kept there. He was then given all the coins in the tills before he left.

Mr Smith said he returned to Hyde Park Road on January 14 but the manageress, realising what was about happen, ordered another assistant out the exit door and followed her. Sulman then demanded money from the only customer present, counting down from 10 as they lay on the floor as though he was going to shoot, but left empty-handed.

The same manageress was again present on January 28 and rushed to ring police when Sulman demanded money from another cashier, only to be stopped by Mr Richardson.

Paul Williams, for Sulman, said he was a naive young man who had been too ashamed and humiliated to tell his family about his drug involvement and debts. He regretted what he had done.