Held at gunpoint: how I fended off armed robber (From Bournemouth Echo)

Held at gunpoint: how I fended off armed robber

7:51am Friday 8th February 2013 in News By Caitlin Marsh

THE VICTIM of an attempted armed robbery has told of her gunpoint terror.

The 59-year-old woman had finished shopping in Morrisons supermarket at Verwood when she returned to her car, which was parked in nearby Chiltern Drive.

As she got in, and went to put the key in the ignition, a man opened the passenger door and got in.

He then told her ‘Give me everything you’ve ******* got’.

The woman, who does not want to be identified but lives in Wimborne, said: “I then lashed out at him with my left elbow at his head. He then pointed the gun at me. I can’t tell you the terror I felt.

“I still had the keys in my right hand, so I lashed out again and ended up hitting the gun, which he had in his left hand. It looked like a silver pistol. I don’t know if it was real or not, but it was definitely metal, as my hand still hurts from hitting it.

“He seemed quite stunned by the fact that I wasn’t a pushover.”

The man quickly fled, the woman says, and she did not see where he went next.

“I was so frightened. I can’t imagine what would have happened if I hadn’t reacted so quickly.

“He must have been in the bushes, hiding down low, because I didn’t see him as I walked to my car.

“I remember it very, very clearly. I started my car and drove about 10 metres before thinking ‘Pull yourself together’, so I stopped and rang 999.

“It was horrendous. It all happened so quickly and after a long day at work, I didn’t stop shaking all evening.

“I went to Morrisons again the other day with someone else and I saw a man press the button to unlock his car, just as I did, and I thought ‘You have no idea. If only you’d been here a month ago.’ I wanted to tell him to be aware, because there are nasty people around.”

The incident happened on Friday, January 4 at around 7.15pm and police issued an efit of the man earlier this week.

The description of the man is a white male, aged in his 40s, between five feet 10 inches and six feet tall, and of medium build.

He has a strong jaw line, was clean-shaven and wearing a dark woollen hat pulled down to the top of his eyes.

Witnesses and anyone with information should call Dorset Police in confidence on 101, quoting incident number 04:404, or call the free and anonymous Crimestoppers line on 0800 555 111.