Hapless gun robber picks on the wrong man mountain: Betting shop raider loses out to 18-stone angry punter



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Confronted by a desperate robber carrying a handgun, most of us would simply get out of the way.



But not 48-year-old Martin Richardson. He’s 18-stone, powerfully built and a judo brown-belt.



What’s more, at the time of this dramatic standoff, he was in a bad mood.



As these extraordinary CCTV pictures show, raider Azar Sulman quite simply picked on the wrong guy.



Father-of-six Mr Richardson stood his ground with his hands in his pockets before attacking Sulman, 20, with a chair.



After flooring the raider, Mr Richardson used a judo move to pin him to the ground and kept him there for seven minutes until police arrived.



Judge Scott Wolstenholme praised the have-a-go hero’s ‘tremendous courage’ and awarded him £250 during Sulman’s trial at Leeds Crown Court.



The robber was sent to a young offenders’ institution for six years.



Mr Richardson, in hospital yesterday after breaking his arm in a rugby match, is being recommended for a bravery award.

He admitted he had probably been a ‘bit stupid’ in tackling the robber, but did so because he was in a ‘bad mood’ after failing to win anything in the bookmakers.



He was in his local branch of William Hill in Leeds on January 28 when Sulman rushed in.

CCTV images show him threatening the cashier with his gun. Unknown to anyone at the time, it was a replica and he was handed some cash.

Mr Richardson realised what was happening and went to the door to check if there were accomplices waiting.



He then stood in the way, staring down the barrel of a gun.

Mr Richardson said: 'I was stood back near the door. He was near a table and it looked like he was cocking the gun.



'He wanted me to open the door and kept shouting he would shoot me if I did not open it.

'I was scared, I couldn't be certain whether the gun was real or not, I thought the male might shoot me anyway for getting in his way.

[caption] Cash in one hand, gun in the other, he starts to back out of the bookies... but finds his way out is blocked by Mr Richardson, right



'I looked him in the eyes, he was just a few feet from me. I thought, "I am not opening the door, if he shoots me he shoots me, but I am not opening the door".

'Then I picked up the chair and smashed him twice with it. He went down and I managed to kick the gun out of his hand.



'I managed to get my legs around his body and held him there (for seven minutes) until the police came. I used to do judo and he could not move. I have to admit I was shaking when I was on the floor.'



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The court heard it was Sulman’s fourth raid on the chain and the third on the same premises.



He was trying to fund a £200-a-week cannabis habit.

He admitted three robbery charges and one attempted robbery.



Trevor Wilkinson of William Hill, said Mr Richardson had done ‘fantastically well’ but pointed out to other would-be heroes ‘not everyone is built like Martin’.

