Police in Northern England praised a coin dealer’s bravery after he fought off a robber, who was thought to be armed, with a table leg in his shop in North Shields in November 2017. This clip, released by Northumbria Police on February 24, 2021, shows convicted robber Andre Deleanu entering the shop. Police said he arrived with two suitcases claiming to want to sell his coin collection. He shows the proprietor a black revolver tucked into his waistband, before pulling out the gun and pointing it at him. The shop owner then fights off the robber with a table leg. The revolver was later established to be an imitation firearm. Deleanu was identified by traces of blood outside the shop from injuries sustained during the scuffle. He evaded capture for more than two years, traveling to Cyprus and Ireland before being arrested in March 2020. He was jailed on February 23 for four years and 10 months after admitting robbery and possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. Police praised the bravery of the shop owner who stood his ground. “He stayed calm, did not panic and he rang police while attempting to fight off a man who was threatening him with what appeared to be a revolver,” Detective Chief Inspector Martin Brooks said. “His actions meant none of his property was taken that day, but he also inflicted a wound on the armed robber that left a trail of blood outside the store. This secured vital evidence against Deleanu that left him with no option but to enter a guilty plea so I cannot praise him highly enough.” Credit: Northumbria Police via Storyful
