Watch moment hero Post Office workers tackle & disarm thief armed with ‘gun’ in ‘terrifying’ robbery bid

THIS is the infinitesimal brave Post Office unit disarmed a thief aft helium made a failed bid to rob their workplace with a 'gun'.

A precocious tribunal justice praised the bravery of the workers aft watching the "terrifying" footage of Robert Danskin’s trying to rob the NISA section store successful Abbey View, Dunfermline, successful June 2024.

The footage shows Danskin brandish an imitation weapon - described arsenic 'indistinguishable' from a existent weapon' astatine staff.

He demadns unit subordinate Cheryl Gourlay capable a container with wealth earlier jumping implicit a antagonistic and battle her by seizing her body.

But brave Cheryl enactment herself successful beforehand of the till and refused to comply with his requests.

She past shouted to her colleagues who came rushing to her help.

Her colleagues ran implicit to antagonistic to assistance her - wrestling Danskin to the ground.

One unit subordinate wrestled the pistol retired of Danskin’s manus whilst punching him.

His colleagues pulled Danskin’s balaclava disconnected his head, wrestle him to the crushed and restrain him determination until the constabulary arrived to apprehension him.

The High Court successful Edinburgh heard however the 36-year-old crook walked into the store wearing a balaclava brandishing a limb described successful tribunal by authoritative Anna Chishoim arsenic a “realistic” imitation gun.

She besides said it looked “indistinguishable” from a existent gun.

Ms Chisholm said: “Cheryl Gourlay told him helium wasn’t getting money.”

Court unit played the infinitesimal agelong incidental which had been captured connected CCTV cameras.

The tribunal heard that Danskin had a condemnation for a akin offence successful 2007. This prompted Lord Scott to defer sentence.

Lord Scott said: “I americium inclined to telephone for reports. Notwithstanding the existent bravery of a fig of individuals who intervened, this indispensable person been a terrifying incidental successful which nary 1 different than the accused was alert that this wasn’t a existent firearm.”

The communicative emerged aft Danskin, besides of Dunfermline, pleaded blameworthy to assaulting Cheryl Gourlay whilst wearing a disguise connected his face.

The complaint to which Danskin admitted states that helium acted aggressively whilst demanding wealth and brandishing an imitation firearm astatine her.

He besides admitted to seizing and pulling her connected the assemblage whilst attempting to rob her of money.

Footage of the failed raid went viral connected X earlier this year.

Social media users saw Danskin climbing implicit the station bureau antagonistic successful an alleged effort to instrumentality the contents of the till.

Social media users named the antheral who disarmed Danskin arsenic Bob.

They witnessed him punching Danskin connected the caput earlier wrestling the weapon from him with the assistance of different staff.

More than 27,000 radical person liked and shared messages of enactment beneath the video of the incident, which has been viewed implicit 2 cardinal times connected X.

Members of the assemblage successful Dunfermline past launched a fundraiser to convey the post bureau unit for putting “their lives astatine risk” to disarm the robber and “save” shoppers.

On Wednesday, Ms Chisholm said that pursuing his arrest, Danskin told officers that helium wasn’t a “bad person”.

She said that helium was successful indebtedness to cause dealers and was acrophobic that helium and his spouse were going to beryllium harmed by them.

She added: “He said ‘me and my woman person a £1,000 ace debt. In a weird mode I wanted to get caught truthful I could to jailhouse and beryllium harmless there.”

Ms Chisholm besides told the tribunal that constabulary officers examined the firearm and recovered that that it was an Airsoft weapon - Airsoft is simply a crippled akin to paintball.

The advocator depute said the weapon had primitively been covered successful bluish overgarment to support it successful enactment with firearms legislation.

She added: “But it has been removed astatine immoderate point. This gives it the look of a realistic imitation firearm.”

Ms Chisholm besides said that it successful quality it looked “indistinguishable” from a “real firearm”.

Defence solicitor advocator Ann Ogg asked Lord Scott to defer sentence.

She added: “Your lordship whitethorn beryllium minded to telephone for a report.”

Lord Scott agreed and told Danskin that helium had committed a “terrifying offence.”

He volition beryllium sentenced astatine the High Court successful Glasgow connected November 7 2024.