‘Punter’ had a shotgun

Press, 27 October 1977, Page 6

‘Punter’ had a shotgun

PA Auckland , What was thought to be a last-minute punter coming to place a bet turned out to be a masked robber who made off with about $5OOO from die St Heliers Bay T.A.B. just before it closed last evening. Mr P. A. Richardson, of Mount Roskill, whose wife, Mary, is the agent for the office, said he was putting a rubbish bag out and was walking back to the office when he heard a car door slam.

He glanced across the road and a saw a man in white overalls getting something out of the back of a car. He then ran across the road to the T.A.B.

“I thought he must have been a last-minute customer as it was only three minutes before we closed.” A yard away from the agency door the man pushed Mr Richardson through the door and started shouting, “This is a hold-up.” Motioning to a sawn-off shotgun, he said: “You know what this is?” While the robber was ushering both Mr Richardson, who does not work for the T.A.8., and his wife into the sack room, he kept pointing the gun at Mr Richardson. ■While Mrs Richardson was counting cut the monev the robber got a pillow case or hag and monev was put into it.

The money had been ready to go into the safe and was tying on the table in the back room.

The robber then warned the couple not to set off any alarm or he would “blow their brains out” or come back and “get them.” After a short time, Mr Richardson went out the front door and saw the robber drive through a red light, but he could not recognise jthe car.

Before leaving, the robber ripped the telephone lead from the wall. Mrs Richardson went to get help from a hamburger bar. The police were at the scene within a few minutes.