RAF man Neil McCarthy fights off armed Chicago muggers Published duration 28 October 2015

image copyright ABC image caption Neil McCarthy from Plymouth demonstrated to US media how he got the mugger in a headlock

A former RAF serviceman turned the tables on knife-wielding muggers who attacked him on a trip to Chicago.

Neil McCarthy, from Plymouth, and his girlfriend, Carisa Lerner, were walking by Lake Michigan when three men approached them.

The 27-year-old handed over his iPhone and wallet but "lost it" when he saw the attackers "manhandling" Ms Lerner.

Mr McCarthy was stabbed in the shoulder but overcame the gang and two of the assailants were later arrested.

image copyright Neil McCarthy image caption Neil McCarthy said being stabbed 'felt like a punch'

He said: "While the guy was going through my stuff I looked around and the another guy was manhandling my girlfriend - that's when I lost it."

Mr McCarthy, previously a Senior Aircraftman who served in Afghanistan, got the man carrying a knife into a headlock but was then stabbed while being punched by the two other assailants.

'Bloody dripping knife'

"I knew I'd been stabbed, it didn't hurt, it felt like a punch," he said.

Mr McCarthy got hold of the knife and stabbed one mugger before all three fled from the attack.

image copyright ABC image caption Neil McCarthy was stabbed in the attack in Chicago but fought back to overcome the muggers

He said: "A guy cycling past had called the police and when they arrived I was the one holding the bloody dripping knife, so I just put my hands up."

Mr McCarthy then used an app to trace his stolen phone and found it was only 30m (100ft) away.

He said: "I went after him, topless at this point, and caught him and dragged him back to the police."

Luis Salgado and Noe Mondragon were arrested in connection with the incident at 23:50 local time (04:50 BST) on Saturday.

image copyright Cook County Sheriff image caption Luis Salgado was arrested on suspicion of armed robbery

image copyright Cook County Sheriff image caption Chicago Police arrested Noe Mondragon on suspicion of armed robbery

Mr McCarthy is currently in the US as a graduate student of security technologies at the University of Minnesota.

His mother Linda, said she was "immensely proud".

"It's not everyday someone single-handedly fights off three men and hands one in to the police," she said.