Bottle shop employee bashed during robbery: ‘They threatened to kill me’
A bottle shop employee in Sydney’s inner west has spoken after he bravely chased a group of thieves of African appearance out of his shop before being violently attacked by a fourth man. WATCH THE CCTV VIDEO.
A bottle shop worker who bravely chased after a group of men of African appearance when they stole two bottles of cognac has spoken of how they threatened to kill him when he tried to wrestle the alcohol back.
CCTV shows the moment the three young men walk into Just Liquor Cellars, Ashfield, just before 10pm on Sunday with a specific plan to get the alcohol.
One of the men speaks to staff members distracting them before the other two men grab expensive bottles of Hennessy and Remy Martin.
The two men brazenly walk past the till and out the door while their friend blocks the two employees.
But brave attendant Nicholas Poon, 30, then leaves the store in the vision.
He told The Daily Telegraph he chased two of the men down Liverpool Rd before they got into a getaway car which was waiting for them nearby.
"I chased them back to a white sedan where the two men who had stolen the liquor got in the back seat," he told The Daily Telegraph.
"I held onto one of the bottles. They threatened to stab me and kill me; they couldn't push me off. Then a man who was in the front seat, who was drinking a bottle of Jack Daniels, got out and pulled me out of the car by my neck.”
The white sedan drove off with three of the men in the car, while the larger fourth man who attacked Mr Poon ran south on Knox St.
Paramedics treated Mr Poon for broken ribs, a chipped tooth and two black eyes after the attack.
“I’ve never seen a group of African people come in to steal from our shop before, normally it is young kids,” he said.
His manager Seong Ko said there was something suspicious about the men from when they walked in the shop.
“One of the guys started speaking to me at the counter while the other two went down the aisle,” he said.
“He said they were from Brisbane and they don’t know when the shops close. They were all stupid questions.
“Then when his friends ran off with the bottles he was yelling out from the road saying he didn’t take a bottle. He said he didn’t do anything wrong.”
This is the first time a group of youths have robbed the shop in a co-ordinated attack, and Mr Ko said police told them there had been an increase in theft along Liverpool St.
Police are appealing for anyone with information about the men to come forward.
The first man is described as being of African appearance, about 165cm tall, with a solid build and short dreadlocks. He was depicted wearing a red chequered shirt over a blue Nautica brand t shirt with dark pants. The second male was of a similar appearance and at the time wearing a brown jacket over a dark coloured shirt with patches on the front and dark pants. Both are believed to be aged about 18 years of age. The third male is also described as being of African appearance, about 175cm tall, with a medium build and medium length hair. He is depicted wearing a blue jumper with light blue jeans and white sneakers.
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