Ross Parry Three Estonian men have been jailed for a total of 51 years for robbing jewellery shops

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Gun-toting Estonians Alar Kajurand, 44, Taimar Uibopuu, 30 and Rainis Kilk, 26, were jailed on Monday for a total of 51 years following armed raids in London and Leeds. The trio had targeted Watches of Switzerland on London’s Oxford Street last February before returning a month later to carry out a raid on Berry’s in Leeds. The robbers flew to the UK on budget-airlines and stayed in discount hotels prior to both attacks. But they had not anticipated running into partially-sighted former wrestler James Pass, 30, who, along with fellow passers-by Dsoume Diallo and Issa Sila thwarted their getaway from the Leeds robbery with a haul of Rolex watches worth £900,000. Mr Pass used his wrestling skills to grapple Uibopuu into a bearhug and arm lock which he held until police arrived.

The former semi-pro wrestler, who has been left partially-sighted due to suffering from severe diabetes, was with his girlfriend when she spotted the robbery. Last night he said: “The next thing I knew there was someone coming out of the jewellers and I was aware of a man pointing and shouting and I just saw one of the robbers come towards me. “He was getting away so I grabbed him and put him in a bearhug and pulled him down as the other man tried to grab his coat, but the robber was slipping out of his grasp. “I put him in an arm lock and held him there until the police came.” Mr Pass says because of his eye condition he could not tell how many robbers were involved.

Ross Parry The footage shows members of the public tackle the robbers in Leeds

He was getting away so I grabbed him and put him in a bearhug and pulled him down as the other man tried to grab his coat, but the robber was slipping out of his grasp James Pass

He added: “I didn’t know how many people were in the jewellers and if they were going to come out and start shooting.” Recorder Michael Slater awarded the heroes £750 each from the public purse. He said: “This shows consummate public spiritedness.” Watches worth £935,000 were stolen in the Leeds robbery, 64 of which have been recovered but £450,000 worth remain missing. The raid saw wig-wearing Kajurand threaten a security guard with a gun before security door wielding a gun as Kilk and Uibopuu used hammers to smash glass display cases containing the watches.

Ross Parry The heroes were awarded £750 each from the public purse

Ross Parry Kajurand and Kilk were sentenced to 18 years while Uibopuu was jailed for 15 years