Armed Robber Clobbered By Extremely Large, Somewhat Grumpy Gambler

Azar Sulman lived to regret the day that he pulled a gun on a 114-kg Martin Richardson. Richardson, a 48-year-old father-of-six decided to take out his bad mood, the result of an unsuccessful day at the bookie’s, on his much smaller assailant – with a chair.

After swinging the chair with near lethal force, Richardson employed his judo skills, pinning Sulman to the ground for the seven minutes that it took for police to arrive.

Richardson, a former judo brown belt and avid rugby player, told the Daily Mail that he was confronted by Sulman when he (Richardson) went to check to see if the robber had any accomplices:

He wanted me to open the door and kept shouting he would shoot me if I did not open it.

I looked him in the eyes… he was just a few feet from me. I thought “if he shoots me he shoots me, but I am not opening the door”.

I lost it because I hate to be threatened. The adrenaline was running as I picked up the chair and smashed him twice with it, but once I had him down I started to shake because it hit home how dangerous it was.

Neither he, nor anyone else in the room – with the exception of Sulman – realized that the gun was a replica.

Richardson explained his own thoughts on what he had done:

To be honest I was probably a bit stupid doing what I did, but I was being threatened, as were the staff, and I wanted to stop the guy. I did, so it was worth it.

Sulman’s motive for what the court heard was his fourth robbery of the same William Hill bookmaker, was said to be a £200-a-week pot habit. Before sentencing Sulman to six years in a young offenders’ prison, the judge commended Richardson for his efforts, and awarded him the sum of £250.

Hopefully William Hill can make up for Richardson’s unlucky day of betting with a more substantial reward for his troubles.

Images

Top, Martin Richardson with a broken arm sustained in a rugby game. Middle, Azar Sulman who picked a bad day for his fourth robbery of a William Hill in Leeds. Below, CCTV footage of the robbery.

Sulman enters a Leeds branch of William Hill wearing a hooded sweatshirt, a mask and carrying a replica pistol.

He approaches the staff members, who are compliant…

Then he encounters Richardson, who is not.

Richardson lands a second blow with the chair, then pins Sulman to the ground and waits seven minutes for police to arrive.