A feisty shop assistant had a real-life Crocodile Dundee moment when she produced her own blade to scare off a knife-wielding robber.
Fearless Lorraine McCalliskey, 36, turned the tables on the hooded thug after telling him: “Come on then, let’s have a go if you want to have a go”.
Lorraine – who was on her own – refused to be cowed when the crook walked into her corner shop and produced a steak knife.
He tried to order her to open up the till but fled empty-handed when she picked up her own knife from under the counter and chased him out and up the street in Tiverton, Devon.
The drama unfolded as Lorraine was preparing to close up The Mini Market at 10pm on November 8 and the man walked in, covered head to toe in black with only his eyes visible.
She said: “I always thought this would happen one day and I was thinking ‘this is happening now’.
“I thought ‘Do I have time to get my knife out?’
“I went to the till and under the till is where we have a small packing knife for stationery. I pulled it out and said ‘Come on then, let’s have a go if you want to have a go’.
“It was quite surreal. If he put his arm out with the knife he was close enough to have stabbed me. He was using it to gesture.
“He had his knife downwards but I had mine right in front of me.
“I thought later that I could have grabbed a bottle of wine from the shelf and whacked him over the head.
“For a moment I thought, ‘Shall I give him the money?’ Then I thought ‘No, I’m not going to give him the money I’m going to get a knife. I suppose it was the adrenalin kicking in.
“When I said ‘let’s have a go’, he jumped back.”
Lorraine said she initially thought the intruder was wrapped up because he was cold until she saw his knife.
She added: “I was in the back of the shop and saw him on the security camera. I thought either he’s really cold because he’s wearing so many clothes and a scarf or he’s here to rob me.
“I waited a few seconds and he seemed to be waiting patiently and not stealing chewing gum or anything so I thought to myself ‘Come on, stop thinking bad of people’ and went to serve him.
“I shouted ‘On my way’, and as soon as I came through into the shop that’s when I immediately saw the knife.”
“I followed him out. He was running down Wellbrook Street and I was calling him ‘Scouse this and Scouse that, all the names under the sun.
“This alerted two women who were walking past the funeral parlour and I told them I’d nearly been robbed.”
Lorraine – who said the thug had a Livcerpool accent – said she did not think her actions were reckless and she would do the same thing again.
“I felt absolutely fine afterwards,” she added. “The police told me later to get myself a stiff drink and calm down but I thought I was calm.
“We had the best result in that I was not harmed and he didn’t get any money.”
Shop owner, Alizon Martin, praised Lorraine’s bravery.
She added: “He must have thought that the till would be full just before closing. My history with the shop goes back almost 30 years and I’ve never experienced anything like this.
“He was wearing a balaclava and possibly with a hood up. Lorraine was incredibly brave.”
Police are still hunting the foiled raider and have appeal for witnesses to contact them on 101 quoting CR/97740/17.
