Sledgehammer attack on Holloway Diamonds, Brighton
THREE youths armed with a sledgehammer tried to smash their way into a Brighton jewellery store, but a security guard inside may have frightened them away.
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THREE armed youths who tried to smash their way into a Brighton jewellery store with a sledgehammer are on the run, possibly in a stolen car with Queensland numberplates.
The youths tried to enter Holloway Diamonds on the corner of Carpenter St and Church St in Brighton shortly after 10am.
They failed to get inside the store and ran away.
Sergeant Dean Higgins said four of the males — two armed with sledgehammers — got out of the stolen car before unleashing on the store’s front door.
“They struck the door once before they were challenged by a security guard that was inside the store,’’ Sgt Higgins said.
“They’ve seen the security guard, they’ve got back into the Mercedes and driven off north along Carpenter St.
“It’s a brazen act and it’s a freak of nature that nobody was hurt.”
The store’s owner was “shaken as well as annoyed” at one of his stores yet again being targeted.
Only staff and a security guard were inside the outlet, which had upgraded security in recent weeks in response to escalating attacks on jewellery stores.
The armed security guard, who it’s understood had only been working for several weeks, earned praise for his response.
“It played a great role,’’ Sgt Higgins said.
“He pretty much walked to the door and said: ‘Security, stop’.
“It won’t be long before we catch them.”
Police say the stolen car is a blue-silver coloured hatchback with Queensland registration plates.
Detectives were keen to speak with witnesses, particularly anyone who filmed the incident on their mobile phone.
A large number of police remain at the scene with officers examining a front door window shattered during the attempted robbery.
Henry Zelener, who works at a hair salon next to the jewellery store, said he saw two or three youths wearing hoodies flee in an olive Mercedes hatchback parked on a nearby roundabout.
It’s understood a security guard at the front of the store may have scared them off.
“I just heard lots of smashing and lots of noise,” Mr Zelener said.
“They were all covered and they had a long crowbar looking thing in their hands.
“It’s ridiculous. It’s got to stop. It’s got really out of hand.”
Jenny, who witnessed the attempted robbery, told 3AW: “There are police everywhere.
“It looks like there have been two big attempts to smash the windows in.
“There has been security around there in the last couple of weeks. It is very scary.”
Nobody was injured in this morning’s incident but staff were left shaken.
Jewellers across Melbourne have been boosting security in the wake of a number of armed robberies in the past year.
Last month three robbers armed with machetes and hammers stormed Holloway Diamonds in Canterbury just ten weeks after the same store was the target of a similar attack.
The men used the weapons to smash open cabinets at the high-end jewellers in Canterbury Rd.
— with Wes Hosking