Shoreham shop robbery: Dad hailed a hero once again after pinning a thief to the ground for a second time in six years

Charlie Kinross, 53, was praised in 2017 for pinning a shoplifter to the ground as he walked past The Beach Shop in Ferry Road.

It was a case of déjà vu for Charlie on the evening of Halloween last year (Monday, October 31) when he found a man, who had just robbed the same shop, being wrestled to the ground on his lawn.

Samuel Brown, of Stoney Lane, Shoreham, had assaulted the shopkeeper, Neha Patel, before attempting to run off with the till.

Neha’s brother-in-law, Jose, chased after the robber in his van and blocked off an alleyway – leading them to ‘deviate’ onto Charlie’s lawn.

Charlie said: "Two people were wrestling on my lawn and one was saying, ‘he’s robbed my shop’."

The former rugby player, who describes himself as ‘quite heavy’, added: “I pinned the other guy to the floor and I restrained him for around 15 minutes. It was all quite violent as he was continually trying to break free.

“I’m used to rolling around in the mud and rain in the dark so trading blows with a stranger isn’t that strange or frightening to me.

"My daughter called the police and they got there very quickly. Seven police cars came so they obviously took it very seriously.”

Neha said the incident was a frightening experience but, thankfully, has made a full recovery. She also thanked Charlie for being her ‘hero the second time around’.

"It was scary,” she said. “I do late evenings and if someone I don’t know comes in wearing a mask, I don’t know what they are going to do. It has made more aware now than I was before.

"I was hit round the head with something but I’m okay now. It was one of those things, I really appreciate the help and support.

“I’ve been here for a very long time and it was the first time something [violent] like that happened. Most shopkeepers go through this once in their lifetime.

“Charlie stepped in to help and it is the second time he has helped. I really want to say a big thank you to him. I'm lost for words.”

However, Charlie – a cameraman who has produced programmes for the BBC and Channel Five – said that praise should go to Jose for chasing the robber in the dark, to prevent him from escaping.

“He deserves a medal, not me,” Charlie said.

Sussex Police said in November that Brown – then aged 31 – was charged with robbery, one count of assault by beating and one count of common assault.

He was remanded in custody before being sentenced at Lewes Crown Court last Wednesday (March 1), the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) confirmed.

The CPS said Brown was sentenced to 40 months in prison for robbery; three months for assault by beating and three months for common assault. He will serve the sentences consecutively.

A spokesperson added: “He was also under a suspended sentencing order at the time of the incident and, for breaching this, three months’ custody was activated, making a total of 49 months’ custody. He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge.”

Neha was ‘pleased’ with the sentence and said justice had been done, adding: “Hopefully he learns his lesson.”

Charlie said: “I’m chuffed to bits. Four years is certainly long enough to sit in a jail cell and contemplate your behaviour.”

Joss Loader, who chairs the Shoreham Beach Residents' Association, said this was a ‘shocking and cowardly attack’ on a ‘popular member of our community’, during the early evening when a lot of families were out celebrating Halloween.

"She was targeted while serving customers and simply doing her job,” the district councillor said. "Although it's arguable whether the length of this jail sentence reflects the severity of the crime, the community will be reassured that the offender is now behind bars and has pleaded guilty.

"We hope it sends out a message that violent crime will not be tolerated on Shoreham Beach and that both our traders, and members of the public, need the full protection of the law.

"As before, anti-social behaviour continues to be an issue and policing levels remain a major concern.

"We appreciate the actions of the hard-pressed police officers on the ground but they are under-resourced and we need high-profile, visible policing as a priority across the Adur district."