An armed robber who waved a claw hammer around in a terrifying raid at a jewellers in Manchester had his plans foiled after being confronted by the shop's brave owners, both aged in their 70s.
But weeks before, in January 2023, Daniel Smith, 38, from Old Trafford, had scoped out another store, Christopher Brown Jewellers in Stockport, for 'security weaknesses' before barging through the door and threatening staff with a weapon.
He propped the security door open with a brick in a bag before pressing a weapon against a terrified member of staff and demanding they handed over a unique, highly-valued necklace before stealing it from the scene.
