Barman fights off robber during 45-minute Christchurch crime spree

A KFC and two pubs in Christchurch were robbed on Sunday night. (File photo)
ANDY JACKSON/STUFF
A KFC and two pubs in Christchurch were robbed on Sunday night. (File photo)

A barman was bludgeoned with a baseball bat about seven times in one of three robberies in Christchurch overnight.

Pubs in Spreydon and Bryndwr and a KFC near the airport were robbed within 45 minutes. One man has been arrested and another remains on the run.

Two men armed with a baseball bat and a knife entered the Celtic Arms Inn on Selwyn St in Spreydon about 10pm.

Two men armed with a baseball bat and a knife then entered the Celtic Arms Inn on Selwyn St in Spreydon about 10pm.
John Kirk-Anderson
Two men armed with a baseball bat and a knife then entered the Celtic Arms Inn on Selwyn St in Spreydon about 10pm.

A barman, who declined to be named, said his manager spotted two men with black balaclavas walking towards the bar as they were cleaning the bar after closing. One man wore a grey hoodie, blue jacket, black trousers and a black balaclava. The second offender was in a red jacket and was also wearing a black balaclava.

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"I went out to see what was going on and one of them started jumping the fence to the left of me so I threw him back, pushed him back off the fence and the other guy jumped over with a knife."

Police were called to Little Brown Jug on Wairakei Rd, Bryndwr, about 9.45pm on Sunday.
Google Maps
Police were called to Little Brown Jug on Wairakei Rd, Bryndwr, about 9.45pm on Sunday.

The man with a knife demanded the barman "give me all your money". He handed over the cash register and showed them the safe was empty. The man armed with a baseball bat then became aggressive and struck the barman about seven times with a baseball bat.

"He just started whacking me and I'd just had enough of it by then so I said 'f… you', and threw the big glass tip jar and then a bottle of bourbon."

The two men eventually left the bar before fleeing in a silver sedan.

The barman said police thought he was a "f…… nutcase," for attempting to fight the robbers.

He said he had a bit of a headache on Monday morning with five baseball marks on his back, and one on each arm.

Back in 2016, a masked man armed with a knife, stormed the Celtic Arms Inn and attacked a couple.

About 15 minutes before the Celtic Arms Inn robbery, emergency services were called to Little Brown Jug on Wairakei Rd, Bryndwr, about 9.45pm.

A police spokeswoman said two men entered the pub, one wearing a grey hoodie, black jersey and a black balaclava, while the second offender also wore a black balaclava and a green jersey. She said early reports suggested the pair left the restaurant empty handed and fled in a silver sedan.

A worker of the Little Brown Jug said they were lucky to escape being robbed as they had just locked up the pub shortly before the offenders arrived.

"They didn't actually get in ... because we had just locked up but they had a pretty long knife and a baseball bat, and they were [in] balaclavas so you couldn't really see them. We're very lucky," she said.

The men also allegedly robbed a KFC on Peter Leeming Rd near Christchurch Airport about 10.30pm. A man armed with a baseball bat, wearing a grey hoodie and black balaclava left with tills containing a quantity of cash to a waiting silver sedan.

Lennon Donald Auckram appeared via audio visual link in the Christchurch District Court on Monday before Judge Brian Callaghan.

​The 31-year-old faces 16 charges, including three charges of using a vehicle as a weapon to assault on June 10. He was remanded in custody without plea until June 24.

Auckram allegedly jointly offended with "persons unknown", using a baseball bat and a knife attempted to rob the Little Brown Jug and used a metal bar to rob the KFC at Christchurch Airport, getting away with $523. He is also charged with using a baseball bat as a weapon to assault another man and using a baseball bat to rob a man of $3000.

Auckram also faces two charges of failing to stop for police on June 10 and two charges of dangerous driving.

Police are still searching for a second male offender, a police spokeswoman said.

"We want to reassure the community, especially business owners, that we take these incidents extremely seriously.

"Being the victim of a robbery can be a very traumatic experience and we know the community will agree with us that this sort of behaviour is absolutely unacceptable."

KFC's owner, Restaurant Brands New Zealand, said it could not comment.

According to Stuff records there were six robberies throughout Christchurch in May with a further four coming in the first 10 days of June.

Anyone who has information that may assist the police investigation, or has seen a silver hatchback, thought to be either a Subaru sedan, Toyota or Mitsubishi, with no registration plates, should call 111.

You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Stuff