Wingham Bowling Club: Police release CCTV of samurai sword bandits who threatened staff and patrons during armed robbery
Security vision has been released of two suspects who threatened staff and a patron with a sword and knives during a hold-up of a mid-north coast bowling club.
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They stormed a country bowling club on closing time armed with knives and a samurai sword, threatening and injuring staff and a member before fleeing with cash.
But robbery squad detectives are closing in on two masked bandits who targeted Wingham Sporties, formerly known as the Wingham Bowling Club on the mid-north coast, on July 25 last year.
Strike Force Savery has already made one arrest over the Sunday night stick-up and have released closed circuit television footage of two suspects still wanted for questioning.
The vision shows the two men, both with their faces covered, armed with a knife and a samurai sword as they run into the Combined Street premises about 8.15pm.
They demanded cash from one of the club’s employees while the suspect armed with the sword used it to threaten a patron.
But the 43-year-old patron fought back, wrestling the samurai sword from the armed bandit.
The suspects then left the scene in an allegedly stolen Volkswagen Tiguan, which was later located on fire on Kalimna Close at Taree.
Fire crews extinguished the blaze and the vehicle was seized for further forensic examination.
Both the 67-year-old employee and the patron needed hospital treatment for hand injuries suffered during the hold up.
Manning-Great Lakes detectives began an investigation before investigators from the State Crime Command’s robbery and serious crime squad took over.
During that investigation, they arrested a 35-year-old man, who remains before the courts and have now released vision of the robbery as they search for two other suspects.
The first man is described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 175cm tall, and was wearing a black hooded jumper, black track pants with white writing on the left leg, a black mask, and dark-coloured shoes with white soles.
The second man is about 165cm tall, and at the time he was wearing a white hooded jumper with a face-covering mask, black pants, black gloves, white shoes and was carrying a black backpack with white writing.
Strike Force Savery detectives have also urged anyone who may have dashcam footage from the surrounding area between 8pm and 8.30pm, or who may have seen or heard anything, to contact Taree police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
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