Man foils bank robbery after assuming it was an April Fool

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: 4:53PM BST 31 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.


Source : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/5077153/Man-foils-bank-robbery-after-assuming-it-was-an-April-Fool.html