Dramatic scenes unfolded last weekend as an Armidale man chased two alleged car thieves through the streets and into the emergency department of the local hospital at the weekend, in a confrontation that left him with a split lip and the pair under arrest.
Police were told about 9.30pm on Saturday, 15 August, that two men had gained entry to a vehicle parked in the driveway of a home in Barney Street, Armidale.
The vehicle’s owner, 32-year-old Andrew Cureton, chased the pair from the scene to a nearby hospital, where a confrontation broke out between the three men.
The local tradie said he was alerted by his home security cameras which had been installed after multiple previous break-ins. He said an earlier break-in cost him about $4,000 worth of equipment, and on a separate occasion his van itself was stolen.
He said he saw a pair of shorts on the screen, and gave chase.
“I came out, started hurling abuse, chasing them, and I chased two of the suspects into the hospital,” he said.
“Being 106 kilos, I’m not really built for running.”
The security footage clearly shows the two young thieves, the van broken into, and Mr Cureton running after them.
The pair fled into a crowded emergency department. Mr Cureton said he tried to alert staff and patients to call police, and when one of the men tried to leave, he stopped him and declared a citizen’s arrest. Hospital staff asked him to stop, suggesting it was now a police matter.
“No, it’s a citizen’s arrest. Police take time to respond,” he said.
A struggle followed. Mr Cureton said the man he was holding had a knife, which he wrestled away and threw aside, and a nurse then picked up. He said he believed the other man punched him in the back of the head during the struggle, before the man he was holding struck him in the mouth, leaving him with a split lip.
He said the confrontation spilled outside the emergency department, drawing a crowd of hospital staff and bystanders, before officers from New England Police District arrived.
Mr Cureton estimated it took about ten minutes for police to arrive, with the arrest following once the confrontation moved outside and became physical.
Police have confirmed officers arrested the two men, aged 18 and 19, and took them to Armidale Police Station.
The 18-year-old was charged with stealing and custody of a knife in a public place. He was granted conditional bail to appear at Armidale Local Court on Monday, 12 October.
The 19-year-old was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm, stealing, and custody of a knife in a public place. He was granted conditional bail to appear at Armidale Local Court on Monday, 19 October.
Mr Cureton was treated at the hospital for minor injuries.
Asked what was going through his mind as he gave chase, his answer was one word.
“Justice,” he said.
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