Pair chase fleeing robber
A usual afternoon food shop turned into a threatening experience for two Auckland mates.
West Auckland’s Peter Jessup and Mick Gallagher came face-toface with an armed robber at Glen Eden’s Glenmall on October 30.
The local residents had just picked up their meat and vegetables about 2.30pm when they saw a man armed with a pistol carrying a suitcase.
‘‘We just walked into it. Mick shouted ‘Pete, there’s a robbery going on’,’’ Jessup said.
Jessup then drove his vehicle in front of a car that was blocking a security van.
‘‘[We were] so close that we couldn’t read the number plate. We sort of made it difficult for him to get out.’’
Moments later Jessup was face-to-face with a man carrying a weapon, having allegedly just robbed a guard transporting money.
‘‘He pointed the gun straight at me. I just ducked my head down and then slammed my car into reverse, hit the accelerator, got about 2-feet back and blew the gearbox in the car,’’ Jessup said.
The offender then hopped into the silver vehicle then skipped out around the duo, he said. ‘‘I’ve had guns pointed at me before so I didn’t really panic too much. I was more thinking about how we could get the bastard,’’ Jessup said.
Despite a blown gearbox, the pair then pursued the robber for about two minutes before losing them. Police later located the offender’s vehicle nearby.
Jessup, 59, said he had earlier seen the armed man point a gun at other bystanders.
‘‘By the time the gunman was pointing at me, there would have been a good 20 people [around] that he could have shot at.’’
Jessup said the incident got them both fired up. ‘‘I’ve got my granddaughter and other kids walking around here. We’re not that keen on that sort of stuff happening in our neighbourhood.’’ Gallagher agreed: ‘‘You never expect this to happen, do you? We tried our best to catch them.’’
Gallagher’s wife has labelled the crime-fighting pair Starksy and Crutch – Jessup, Crutch after a work accident left him in a sling.
Police said officers were searching for an offender. Officers were called to Glenmall on October 30 about 4pm, after a gunman threatened and robbed a guard transporting cash. The guard was not injured and the gunman made off in a silver station wagon that police later found.
If you have any information contact Waita¯kere Police 09 837 9511 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Peter Jessup