A Ladbrokes betting shop located in Derry was robbed on New Year’s Day, giving the two female employees present at the office the fright of their lives. Detective Sergeant Marshall from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) stated in front of local media the robbery was conducted by two unidentified males who entered the premises shortly before 5:45 pm yesterday.
One of the robbers forced and restrained one of the present female employees to the ground while his accomplice searched the Ladbrokes office. The robbers departed the shop just minutes later with their cash plunder.
The exact amount of money they took off with them was not specified by Detective Sergeant Marshall. The two female members of the bookmaking shop’s staff were not physically harmed although the accident gave them a terrible fright.
According to the detective, the height of one of the male robbers was roughly 5’ 11’’. The suspect was dressed in dark clothing and wore gloves as a precaution against leaving fingerprints. It was impossible for the female employee to clearly see the face of her attacker because it was hidden by a balaclava headgear. His accomplice also wore gloves and dark clothing.
The Robbery Took Place on Central Drive during a Busy Time of Day
Detective Sergeant Marshall also explained that the robbery took place in a busy area of Londonderry as the attacked Ladbrokes betting shop was located on the Creggan’s Central Drive. The time the robbers chose also surprised officers of the law.
The accident happened during a bank holiday in the early evening, when many Derry citizens were out of doors. The Irish police representative appealed to the public for information on the two robbers, either by directly contacting the police department or through the independent crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers that enables citizens to anonymously report wrongdoings they have witnessed.
Ironically, this is not the first bookmaking shop to get robbed over the past few days in Ireland. Earlier this week on Tuesday, a robber broke into a betting office located at Falls Road in the country’s biggest city and capital Belfast. This time around, there was a single suspect who allegedly carried a firearm.
Present in the bookmaking shop were two members of the staff, one male and one female employee. The man insisted that two employees give him money but eventually was forced to leave with empty hands.
Similarly to yesterday’s robbery, the Belfast attacker had taken some precautions against recognition. He wore a dark hooded sweatshirt with a white Nike logo on the front side. The robber had his face hidden with a scarf. Representatives of the local police told Belfast Telegraph the height of the attacker was approximately 5’ 10’’. The staff members were badly frightened but survived the ordeal without any physical injuries.
- Author
Daniel Williams
