The presence of mind and even a little bit of courage can save a person from many difficult situations, and recently in the United Kingdom, a man proved this thought true.
In an extremely unusual situation, a brave shopkeeper in Durham City foiled a knifepoint robbery by trapping the intruder under the store's roller shutters.
According to a release by the Durham Constabulary, last month Malcolm Trimble walked into a Durham City store carrying a kitchen knife concealed in his sleeve, picked up a four-pack of lager, then threatened the shopkeeper.
But he had not considered the quick-thinking of the shopkeeper, who raced from behind the counter, fled the premises, held the door closed to keep the intruder inside, then coolly activated the system to lower the shop's metal roller shutters from outside.
Watch the video here:
Realising he was about to be trapped, Trimble tried brute force to open the door and, having finally forced the shopkeeper to release his grip on the handle, attempted an Indiana Jones-style slide to escape the descending shutters.
Unfortunately for him, his mistimed slide ended with him pinned to the floor with his head inside the shop and his torso in the street, where the intended victim was calmly calling police. After a brief but ultimately futile attempt to wriggle free, Trimble consoled himself by reaching for one last can of lager to drink during his final moments of freedom.
Officers arrived within three minutes of the 999 call to find the suspect lying in the street with his head inside the shop. They released the shutters and promptly arrested him.
At Durham Crown Court yesterday, 30-year-old Trimble was jailed for three years and four months after admitting attempted robbery and possession of a knife.
Detective Sergeant Paul Mawson, of Durham Constabulary, said: "It wasn't the most difficult arrest we have ever made. To be honest, it was an open and shut case."
