This was the moment a brave 61-year-old shop-worker took on a gun-wielding robber running rampage – sending him fleeing empty-handed.
Fearless Niall Stranix has been praised as a hero after tackling an armed thug who tried to rob the off-licence, pointing a gun at his terrified female colleague has he demanded cash from the till.
Mr Stranix, who was mopping the shop floor at the time and decided enough was enough, grabbing 'desperate' Marlon Stewart into a headlock.
Little did Mr Stranix know that Stewart had already robbed three teenagers and another off-licence moments beforehand, carrying out 13 crimes in the space of just 20 minutes.
Police have now praised the have-a-go hero, releasing in-store CCTV of the moment he put his own life on the line and sent dangerous Stewart packing.
Stewart was jailed for more than 10 years for the crime spree on the evening of July 19 last year.
It started when the 37-year-old bought a bottle of vodka before approaching three 19-year-olds in a nearby park in Chapel Allerton, Leeds, demanding two of them hand over their phones after showing them what appeared to be a handgun.
With his face masked, Stewart then went into a nearby Premier store where he threatened a cashier with the weapon before turning on a female customer who entered the store, demanding she hand over her car keys.
The cashier was able to make a run for it while Stewart was threatening the customer, and the robber raided the open till and fled in the female victim's white Audi A1.
Stewart then struck again at his second target - a One Stop - where he would be ultimately turfed out by heroic Mr Stranix.
Mr Stranix was struck on his head with a bottle during the scuffle, receiving two cuts, but held onto him despite knowing he was carrying a gun.
The weapon – it later transpired – was simply a plastic BB gun Stewart used to terrify his victims.
After sending him fleeing, Mr Stranix then chased Stewart who fled in the stolen Audi, but was tracked down by officers after being reported for the robberies and dangerous driving - in which he ran several red lights and crashed into a barrier.
Stewart was jailed for 10 years and four months at Leeds Crown court after admitting four counts of robbery, one of attempted robbery, five counts of possession of a firearm while committing a robbery, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, driving while disqualified and driving without insurance.
Officers from West Yorkshire Police have praised Mr Stranix's bravery in the terrifying attempted heist.
Detective Inspector Ryan Malyk, of Leeds District CID, said the "desperate and dangerous" thug had inflicted terror on his victims.
"While we always advise members of the public in such situations to think of their safety first, we must recognise the incredible bravery that Niall Stranix showed in making the decision to tackle him while he was threatening his female colleague," said DI Malyk.
"Despite not knowing if the gun he was holding was real or not, he showed tremendous courage in taking him on and it was his actions that directly led to Stewart’s face being captured on CCTV and him being identified as the suspect.
"We hope that the significant prison sentence that Stewart has received will provide some comfort to all the victims as well as some reassurance to the wider community to know that he is safely off the streets."
