A Hamilton liquor store manager has described the “terrifying” robbery at his store in Hamilton Tuesday night which saw him and a man from the fish and shop next door brutally attacked.
The violent robbery was caught on CCTV showing the attack and robbery inside the store, and subsequent attack outside.
Thirsty Liquor store manager Karun Mittal told 1 NEWS he was refilling the chiller with a fellow worker when he heard the shop door beep.
Instead of a customer, Mr Mittal came face-to-face with two men, one who was holding a machete and the other with what he thought was either a screwdriver or a small knife.
“The thing that really scared me was the machete, the way he pointed it at me,” Mr Mittal said.
“It was pretty scary. I just felt like there was no room to run away you know. There were two guys and they punched me in the face so I just got up and ran out.”
He says he tried to shut the door and lock the offenders in the store while he went to get help, which is when he realised there was another man waiting by the getaway car.
“I tried to go on the other side but he got me there. I got on the ground and he was trying to take away my phone.”
David Ye, owner of the fish and chip shop next door, came to Mr Mittal’s aid after seeing his neighbour being attacked.
“He saw what I was going through so he came out for my rescue but they even got him as well," Mr Mittal said.
Mr Mittal says Mr Ye, who was stabbed in the arm during the altercation, is his hero.
“I will always be in his debt, I’ve never seen someone stand up for me or anyone like that. He had nothing to do with it. He could have been inside, locked the door, but he stood up, he came out, he wanted to help and make a difference.
“So there is still good in the world.”
The CCTV footage shows the fish and chip shop owner, armed with a metal stool, trying to help Mr Mitan in an attempt to chase the thieves off, but then being attacked himself.
“I see this situation and I want to protect him but I didn’t want to hurt anyone,” Mr Ye said.
“When they came out, one guy come to me with like a screwdriver, he attacked me.”
Mr Ye was taken to the hospital, suffering injuries to his head, leg and arm.
There have been robberies at the liquor store before, but Mr Mittal says nothing since he has worked there, and nothing as terrifying as Tuesday night.
“It was never this brutal...There have been a few shoplifts but never anything like this such a terrifying event.”
Police say the thieves took cigarettes, alcohol and cash.
An investigation has since been launched into two aggravated robberies that happened simultaneously on Tuesday night, one at the Thirsty Liquor Store and another at the Cambridge Road dairy.
“We want to hold these offenders to account as soon as possible for the public’s peace of mind so we are appealing to the public for any information,” Detective Constable Simon Moore said.
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