Security guards at the University of Manchester who detained a gunman after an attempted robbery in Manchester have been praised by Greater Manchester Police (GMP).
At Manchester Crown Court on February 6, Jason Dunne, of Tommy Johnson Walk, Moss Side, 32, was jailed for five years after admitting attempted robbery and having an imitation firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence. After the court case Detective Chief Inspector Colin Larkin, said: “Dunne is a prolific and persistent offender who was in an area heavily populated with students in the early hours of the morning with the sole intention of committing a robbery. As the CCTV explicitly shows he was armed with a gun, a terrifying weapon that he used to threaten his victim. Security staff at the university saw events unfolding and saw that he was armed with a gun. Despite this they have bravely and without consideration for their own safety set out to detain this man, which they did successfully.
“They could have had no idea that the gun was in fact an imitation and this makes their actions all the more impressive and worthy of recognition. I must also credit responding officers who were in the area within minutes and the investigation team who, working with the CPS, have ensured a dangerous criminal is off our streets.”
At about 4am on 29 November 2013, Dunne was seen riding near to Manchester University on Oxford Road. His actions raised suspicions of security staff that monitored his movements on CCTV. He was seen to get off his bike, cross Oxford Road and approach an 18-year-old student. He approached the victim and was seen to withdraw a handgun. As security guards called police and scrambled to the location, he demanded the victim hand over his mobile phone and even said to him: “Do you want to be shot?”
The victim fought back and after a struggle Dunne ran off empty handed. He was detained by security guards a short time later and then arrested by police. The gun was found to be an imitation.
