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Fearless 83-Year-Old Punter Fights Off Three Armed Robbers At Bookmakers

Fearless 83-Year-Old Punter Fights Off Three Armed Robbers At Bookmakers

The great-grandfather piled in and started to grapple with the intruders in order to save his friend

Tom Wood

Tom Wood

An 83-year-old Irish pensioner has been lauded as a hero after he helped to tackle a group of armed robbers who had invaded a betting shop.

Footage has emerged that shows the three attackers bursting into the shop in wearing balaclavas and armed with hammers and a shotgun.

These guys came prepared for violence. What they didn't come prepared for was Denis O'Connor.

The pensioner, who lives in Glanmire, Cork, where the whole incident unfolded, jumped in to the fray when he saw that the bookmakers shop manager, Tim Murphy, was in real danger.

One robber vaulted the counter with a hammer
One robber vaulted the counter with a hammer

The great-grandfather piled in and started to grapple with the intruders in order to save his friend.

He told the Irish Independent: "I didn't really think about it - I just went for it."

Between the two of them they managed to fight off the robbers and force them to leave the shop without getting their hands on anything.

Denis also told the newspaper: "When I saw them confronting him (Tim), I just acted.

"I didn't really think about it. I just wanted to help him out."

However, Denis appeared behind the counter to chase him off
However, Denis appeared behind the counter to chase him off

Well, he certainly did that. In the footage, Denis can be seen wrestling with an attacker, forcing him towards the entrance to the shop. He then picked up a chair and turned his attention to another of the remaining miscreants.

They eventually decided that getting out of there would be the best course of action, but they didn't manage to escape without Denis landing a firm kick on one of their backsides.

Excellent work.

All three of the attempted robbers are thought to have been in their twenties or thirties, and Gardaí (Irish Police) have appealed for witnesses who saw a black saloon vehicle - possibly a Volkswagen Passat or an Audi A4 - on Saturday evening.

Friends of Mr O'Connor have said that his actions aren't surprising to them. One friend told the Irish Independent: "He wouldn't stand by while anyone was in trouble - he's an absolute gentleman. It was typical of him,"

It's not known whether the shotgun used in the raid was a real one, or a plastic imitation. That's sort of beside the point, however - the two LADs who chased them off weren't to know if it was real or not.

Recently, another brave individual defended a shop against armed robbers across the Irish Sea in Nottingham.

The unnamed hero was armed to the teeth with a magazine - certified kryptonite to any burgeoning thief.

In this case, the police eventually laid hands on the robber, who was jailed for seven and a half years for a litany of offences.

Featured Image Credit:

Topics: Ireland, News, Europe, crime, robbery