Armed robber foiled by brave shopkeeper who trapped him in roller shutters

Malcolm Trimble's armed robbery attempt in Durham was foiled when the shopkeeper trapped him under roller shutters until police arrived.

Ellen Manning
Updated ·2 min read
6

Watch: Brave shopkeeper foils armed robber by trapping him under store's roller shutters

A brave shopkeeper stopped an armed robber in his tracks by trapping him under roller shutters until police could arrive.

CCTV footage showed the moment Malcolm Trimble, 30, was trapped as he tried to slide under the rollers "Indiana Jones-style" to escape.

Trimble has now been jailed for three years and four months after admitting attempted robbery and possession of a knife.

Trimble ended up being trapped under the roller shutters as he tried to escape. (SWNS)
Trimble ended up being trapped under the roller shutters as he tried to escape. (SWNS)
The 30-year-old had tried to slide under the shutters like an action hero. (SWNS)
The 30-year-old had tried to slide under the shutters like an action hero. (SWNS)

Trimble had walked into the shop in Durham last month with a kitchen knife hidden in his sleeve before picking up a four-pack of lager and threatening the shopkeeper.

But the quick-thinking worker fled the premises and held the door closed while he activated the security system to lower the shop’s roller shutters.

Read more: Everything we know about the Nottingham attack suspect

Trimble managed to force open the door then tried to slide under the shutters to get out of the shop.

But instead, he ended up being pinned to the floor - with his head inside the shop and his body in the street.

Malcolm Trimble enters the shop. See SWNS story SWMRrobber. A brave shopkeeper foiled a knifepoint robbery by trapping the intruder under the store’s roller shutters. Last month, Malcolm Trimble walked into a Durham City store carrying a knife concealed in his sleeve, picked up a four-pack of lager, then threatened the shopkeeper. But he had not considered the quick-thinking shopkeeper, who raced from behind the counter, fled the premises and held the door closed to keep the intruder inside, then cooly activated the system to lower the shop’s metal roller shutters from outside. Realising he was about to be trapped, Trimble tried brute force to open the door and, having finally forced the shopkeeper to release his grip on the handle, attempted an Indiana Jones-style slide to escape the descending shutters. Unfortunately for him, his mistimed slide ended with him pinned to the floor with his head inside the shop and his torso in the street, where the intended victim was calmly calling police. After a brief but ultimately futile attempt to wriggle free, Trimble consoled himself by reaching for one last can of lager to drink during his final moments of freedom. Officers arrived within three minutes of the 999 call to find the suspect lying in the street with his head inside the shop. They released the shutters and promptly arrested him. At Durham Crown Court yesterday, 30-year-old Trimble was jailed for three years and four months after admitting attempted robbery and possession of a knife.
Trimble walked into a shop in Durham carrying a knife hidden in his sleeve. (SWNS)
The shopkeeper fled the shop and activated the security system to bring the roller shutters down. (SWNS)
The shopkeeper fled the shop and activated the security system to bring the roller shutters down. (SWNS)

As Trimble lay stuck under the door knowing he was likely to be arrested, he cracked open one of the cans of beer to drink.

Officers arrived within three minutes of the shopkeeper calling 999 to find him lying in the street with his head inside the shop.

They released the shutters and promptly arrested him.

Trimble has now been jailed for three years and four months after admitting attempted robbery and possession of a knife. (SWNS)
Trimble has now been jailed for three years and four months after admitting attempted robbery and possession of a knife. (SWNS)

Detective Sergeant Paul Mawson, from Durham Constabulary, said: "It wasn’t the most difficult arrest we have ever made.

"To be honest, it was an open and shut case."