Brit Uses Collapsible Walking Stick as Gun to Rob Bookmakers in London

A thief witnesses described as “terrifying” was taking downward bookmakers around John Griffith Chaney with a collapsible walking sting he transformed to look the like a shotgun. His reign of threat ended after what mightiness live described as a temporary deficiency of judgment.

Brett Mullan pleaded guilty to cinque counts of robbery and fin counts of possessing an imitation piece at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Monday, according to local media outlet LBC. The 51-year-old malefactor testament proceeds to the same courtyard on August 1 for sentencing. Over the line of the robberies, he stole a tot of £2,780 (US$3,489).

Mullan began his crime spree on Apr 4, only when conclusion it when police caught upwards with him trine weeks later. He may feature realized he made a mistake when he offered his real make to a just the ticket taker on a prepare – the develop he took to institutionalize his arcsecond offense.

The Eyes Have It

Detectives began investigating as armed robberies at bookmakers inwards Lee, Norwood and Sutton seemed to feature been perpetrated past the same man. They discovered that the suspect was traveling past develop to and from the crimes and took CCTV footage of him.

On Apr 13, Mullan made his path to a bookmaker on Burnt Ash Road in Spike Lee via train. On that trip, the just the ticket inspector stopped him and asked for his tangible name. He gave it, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he was sealing his fate.

Putting the pieces together, officers discovered footage of Mullan’s robberies and corresponding footage of him as he left hand and returned home. On Apr 25, a day after his lastly robbery, they moved inward and arrested him as he was leaving his home.

Police searched the put up and found the collapsable walking stick. They discovered that Mullan disguised it inward a bagful to make water it appear same a shotgun.

Carl Stallabras, Detective Constable, stated that Mullan terrorized members of the public as considerably as faculty at the bookmakers. He demanded money and threatened violence, even out though the employees cooperated and didn’t resist.

The firstly robbery occurred in London’s Sutton borough on Apr 4. Next, Mullan impinge on the same location in Tsung Dao Lee twice, on April 13 and 18. He and so went after a bookie inward Norwood Junction on April 23 before targeting a store inward Crayford the next day. When police arrested him on April 25, he may hold been on his right smart to rob another shop.

Can’t Escape the Cameras

Criminals testament be criminals, even out when they cognize there’s a right chance of being caught. Mullan knew that there were cameras inwards the shops, as substantially as on the streets, that could lead investigators to him. Another would-be bookmaker thief in England figured it come out – after the fact – inwards April, as well.

After his “furious” girlfriend stony-broke up with him, a risk taker who missed £500 (US$627) at a Whitby betting hive away returned to the store with a 15-inch knife to demand his money back. Liam Bulmer was camping nigh Redcar when he gambled at a Ladbrokes subdivision on April 7. However, his wager missed, and he lost the money – cash in hand that were for the tenting trip. That enraged his girlfriend.

Bulmer returned to the browse later that mean solar day with the weapon. When the store wouldn’t pay him a refund, he demanded money and left hand with £320 (US$401). His outstanding leakage didn’t last, though, and police caught him after he tried to vanish on a bus.

Bulmer pleaded shamefaced to robbery as substantially as being inwards possession of the knife. He received III years in jail, half of which he testament assist on house arrest.