Armed robber foiled by Manchester jewellery shop owners in their 70's jailed

  • Watch as the 78-year-old confronts the thief

A would-be robber armed with a claw hammer has been jailed after two shop owners in their 70's foiled his raid on their jewellers.

Daniel Smith, 38, threatened Malcolm and Elise Abelson with the hammer at the shop in St. Ann's Arcade, Manchester, trying to snatch an expensive bracelet.

But undaunted the couple, aged 78 and 71, fought back and managed to force him out of the door, leaving him to flee empty-handed.

Mrs Abelson said: "Smith woke up one morning and planned to steal our goods, he had absolutely no regard for our safety or wellbeing when he came at us with a claw hammer.

"He must have thought we were an easy target because we were old, but for somebody to get out of bed and rob an elderly couple running a jewellers, well let’s just say, my kids would never dream of doing such a thing."

Mr Abelson added: "When you work so hard for something, like building a jewellery business, and run it for decades, you instinctively protect what is yours and what you have made.

"Elise was not letting go of that bracelet the robber tried to snatch."

Grandad dubbed 'Tyson Fury' after fighting off hammer-wielding robber
CCTV caught the moment that Smith was forced out of the shop - it helped to catch him Credit: MEN Media

Just weeks before, in January, Smith, from Old Trafford, had carried out a similar attack in Stockport.

He targeted Christopher Brown Jewellers, for 'security weaknesses', before barging through a door and threatening staff with a weapon.

Propping open a security door with a brick in a bag, he pressed a weapon against a terrified staff member and demanded a unique, highly-valued necklace.

But CCTV, and other evidence he left at the scene in Manchester, enabled detectives to track him down.

Daniel Smith was jailed for four-and-half-years. Credit: MEN Media

Smith pleaded guilty at Minshull Street Crown Court to three charges of armed robbery and has been jailed for four and a half years.

Detective Constable Phillip Sargeant, of Central Manchester CID said: "Had it not been for the quick-thinking and brave resistance that Malcolm and Elise put up against Smith, we might never have recovered items.

"These were exhibits that directly and forensically linked Smith to the crime scenes. With the support of Christopher Brown and Abelson Jewellers, police managed to quickly identify and arrest Smith for a string of robberies as a suspect who targeted established family-owned jewellers and exploited their security."