Elderly man wrestles cowardly robber to the ground

AN 80-YEAR-OLD man has wrestled a thug less than half his age to the ground during a street robbery – and forced the cowardly attacker to flee.

AN ELDERLY man has fought off an attacker who tried to steal his wallet in a Melbourne suburb.

Police have released CCTV footage of a man they would like to speak with in relation to the daylight robbery in Coburg last Saturday.

Moreland detective Senior Constable Sue Norman said an 80-year-old Coburg man had been walking on Harding St, near Park St, at 1.30pm on October 7, when the attacker struck.

She said the man was recovering after his ordeal.

“He’s okay, he was not injured, just a bit shaken up,” Sen-Constable Norman said.

“He’s a sweet old man.”

Sen-Constable Norman said the elderly man felt a hand in his back pocket, where he kept his wallet, and grabbed the hand and twisted his attacker to the ground.

The pair wrestled on the ground until the robber’s jumper came off, allowing him to escape with some cash.

Sen-Constable Norman said the attacker ran through the Russell St carpark, chased by witnesses who got him to sit down until he became aggressive and ran off again through a laneway to Sydney Rd.

The man had been wearing a distinctive lime-green hoodie with “Puma” written in yellow and yellow cords for the hood.

Sen-Constable Norman said the man was in his late 20s to early 30s, with dark hair and a beard, olive skin and was wearing blue jeans.

Anyone with information should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or Moreland CIU on 9355 6052.

Police hope this man can help with their inquiries into the robbery of an elderly man in Harding St, Coburg, on Saturday, October 7.

Originally published as Elderly man wrestles cowardly robber to the ground