Caught on camera: thief goes berserk after caught stealing in Purley store (From Croydon Guardian)

Caught on camera: thief goes berserk after caught stealing in Purley store

8:00pm Tuesday 18th May 2010 in

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These are the terrifying moments when a violent thief went berserk after getting caught red handed stealing from a security store’s till.

The sticky fingered youth threatened a pregnant teenager as she attempted to call police; attacked the store owner as he tried to stop him escaping and eventually smashed through the front window before running off.

The brazen bandit returned moments later to retrieve his motorcycle helmet and rucksack and chucked a wall safe at frightened staff.

Retired policeman Graham Peacock, 65, had two of his ribs broken after he was hit with a fire extinguisher and pummelled by the violent thug who he caught stealing money from the Security Centre in Godstone Road, Purley on Monday afternoon.

No arrests have been made.

Have-a-go hero Graham Peacock told of the moment he confronted an out-of-control thief who had stolen £90 from his new security store’s till.

Mr Peacock, who has seven commendations for bravery when he was a policeman, chased the thug down the road with sales manager Danny Parker after he was caught on camera stealing from the shop.

The cornered thief agreed to go back to the shop where 19-year-old Rhoda Winter, who is two months pregnant, was on the phone to the police.

The thug handed back the stolen cash but became violent when he realised he was locked into the shop with Mr Peacock blocking the doorway .

Mr Peacock, who struggled to breathe as he spoke of the incident, said: “He came for me and whacked me in the side, he broke two of my ribs. He hit me so hard he bounced off me.

“He kicked me in the knee so I smacked him on the nose. He screamed at me that I had broken his nose.”

The thug then threw his motorcyle helmet and then a fire extinguisher at the front window in an attempt to escape before launching himself through the glass.

He returned moments later to get his belongings and threw a safe at staff.

Mr Peacock managed to grab hold of him but was thrown to the floor outside his shop.

He said: ”I knocked my head on the floor and that is when I let go of him.”

The former bobby was too injured to stand up and the thug escaped on a motorbike, hotly pursued by several police cars.

He said: “When I hit the floor, I thought this is it, then I saw the blood running down me and realised I was still alive.

“My staff were fantastic, they all stuck to their jobs and did the right thing. Danny was wonderful and really tried to talk him down.”

Mr Peacock said he does not consider himself a hero, he said: “It is the duty of human beings to stop lawlessness.”

Miss Winter said: “I was so shaken up I was just crying. I was so worried about Graham and he was so worried about me.

“Graham was a hero yesterday, he saved us all.

“The man was just a lunatic, he was so agressive.”

The thief caused more than £2,000 worth of damage to the locksmiths which has only been open a few months.

Mr Peacock, who was a policeman for 26 years, was forcibly retired from the force in 1990 because he was badly injured on the job. He has two metal plates in his spine after he was attacked with a pick axe. Until a recent operation, he was unable to walk.

A police spokeswoman said: “The suspect is described as a black man, approx 5ft 7ins, aged between 25 and 35 and wearing a black leather jacket and dark bottoms.”

Detectives are asking anyone who witnessed the incident or may have information to call Croydon CID on 0300 123 1212 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Click here to watch the CCTV