Man foils bank robbery after assuming it was an April Fool
A man inadvertently foiled an attempted bank robbery after assuming it was an
April Fool prank, a court has heard.
By Richard Edwards, Crime Correspondent
Last Updated: 4:09PM BST 30 Mar 2009
Customer Andrew Stewart was sitting down reading a newspaper in an Exeter
branch of the Royal Bank of Scotland on March 31 last year when a raider
burst in and demanded money.
Brian Davison, 32, put his hand inside his back pack then told cashiers: "I've
got a gun. Seriously I've got a gun – hand over the ******* money".
But as terrified cashiers prepared to hand over a bundle of notes, Mr Stewart
calmly walked up to the robber and said: "It's April the 1st isn't it
mate? It's April Fool's Day".
When Davidson said to him "I've got a gun I will shoot you", Andrew
replied "go on then shoot me" and grabbed the bag from his hands.
He opened it in front of staff and after seeing it was empty sat down and
carried on reading his paper, Exeter Crown Court heard.
Davison fled the scene but was later arrested and has now pleaded guilty to
affray.
Richard Crabb, prosecuting, said: "Prior to Mr Stewart's intervention
terrified staff believed Davison was an armed robber. They were going to
hand over a pre-packed bundle of marked notes."
The court heard Davison, of Torquay, Devon, attempted to raid the bank just
hours after appearing at a local court on a charge of criminal damage.
He spent 403 days in custody on remand, which was the equivalent of a 30-month
sentence, so he avoided a further jail term and made the subject of a two
year community order.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/5077153/Man-foils-bank-robbery-after-assuming-it-was-an-April-Fool.html
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