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Shop death gang 'rugby tackled' | Shop death gang 'rugby tackled' |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Police have revealed how witnesses tried to catch a gang of teenagers after a shopkeeper was killed in a robbery at his Huddersfield store. | Police have revealed how witnesses tried to catch a gang of teenagers after a shopkeeper was killed in a robbery at his Huddersfield store. |
Gurmail Singh, 63, died in hospital after suffering a head injury during the attack on Saturday evening. | Gurmail Singh, 63, died in hospital after suffering a head injury during the attack on Saturday evening. |
Police said witnesses tried in vain to catch two of the teenagers, with one member of the public performing a "rugby tackle" on a suspected raider. | Police said witnesses tried in vain to catch two of the teenagers, with one member of the public performing a "rugby tackle" on a suspected raider. |
Four men in their late teens are being sought in connection with his death. | Four men in their late teens are being sought in connection with his death. |
Det Supt David Pervin of West Yorkshire Police said two of the robbers were trapped in the Cowcliffe Convenience Store in Cowcliffe Hill Road after a witness - one of six people outside a local pub who saw the robbery - held the door shut to try to block their escape. | Det Supt David Pervin of West Yorkshire Police said two of the robbers were trapped in the Cowcliffe Convenience Store in Cowcliffe Hill Road after a witness - one of six people outside a local pub who saw the robbery - held the door shut to try to block their escape. |
He's described as extremely jolly, would do absolutely anything for anyone. There was no need for this to happen, there really wasn't Det Supt Pervin | |
The pair tried to get out by banging on the door with a hammer and bottles before escaping through a back door. | The pair tried to get out by banging on the door with a hammer and bottles before escaping through a back door. |
Witnesses then tried to stop them by rugby-tackling one of the young men and tripping up the other, but they were able to get away. | Witnesses then tried to stop them by rugby-tackling one of the young men and tripping up the other, but they were able to get away. |
Afterwards, the witnesses found father-of-three Mr Singh laying unconscious on the floor at the back of the shop. | |
He was taken to Huddersfield Royal Infirmary but pronounced dead at 0330 GMT. | |
Mr Pervin said: "Mr Singh worked extremely hard. He was well liked by everyone. | |
"He's described as extremely jolly, would do absolutely anything for anyone. There was no need for this to happen, there really wasn't." | |
Birthday celebrated | |
He added: "The support and the comments that have come from this community in these last two days, everybody is saying exactly the same - what a wonderful, wonderful man this was and what an absolute tragedy and shame this is." | |
Mr Pervin said he believed Mr Singh was murdered because he put up a resistance and that the gang escaped with "very little". | |
He said he believed the suspects were involved in a similar incident at the shop on Thursday when Mr Singh stopped two young men trying to steal cigarettes. | |
The detective said Mr Singh, who leaves a wife, two adult sons and a daughter, celebrated his 63rd birthday on Friday. | |
He said that for the last five years the hardworking shopkeeper had opened from 0600 GMT to 1900 GMT seven days a week. | |
Mr Pervin made a particular appeal for the two offenders who left the shop first to come forward. | |
He said: "They probably were not involved in the attack on Mr Singh." |