Video: Praise for pensioner who tackled jewel thieves
Brave OAP stood up to hammer-wielding thieves
Published: 01/08/2012
A BRAVE pensioner who stood up to hammer-wielding jewel thieves has been praised by a judge.
Michael Graver, 71, confronted the gang as they pulled up on scooters outside the jewellers in Bury St Edmunds and even managed to snatch a bag containing £22,000 of watches from the fleeing crooks.
Jailing the gang for a total of 36 years, Judge David Goodin praised Mr Graver’s “commendable fortitude and bravery” and awarded £500 to him from the public purse.
Mr Graver described the moment he sprung into action.
He said: “One of the scooters pulled up alongside me and I tried to push the pillion passenger and the scooter over.”
Inside the shop Mr Graver was confronted by one of the raiders who was holding a sledgehammer in one hand and a bag containing stolen Rolexs in the other.
Mr Graver managed to grab the bag from the raider, who then fled.
Father-of-three and grandfather of one Mr Graver said he thought the gang had been shocked by “doddering old pensioners having a go”.
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