COVENTRY MESSAGE BOARD

Police officers were alerted to the scene after hearing a customer shout "he's got a knife"



A suspected armed robber wearing a clown mask was Tasered by police as he allegedly raided a McDonald's restaurant.

Two police officers, who had stopped at the McDonald's at Alvis Retail Park on Holyhead Road for a cup of tea, stopped the suspect in his tracks after a fleeing customer called for help.

A man wearing a clown mask stormed the restaurant with a kitchen knife shortly after midnight (August 7).

The police officers were alerted to the scene after hearing a customer shout "he's got a knife".

They rushed inside to find a man who had jumped the counter and was threatening staff and demanding they hand over cash.

A 41-year-old man was Tasered at the scene and arrested on suspicion of robbery.

He remains in police custody.

Detective Inspector Kat Sibley of West Midlands Police said: "The officers were patrolling shortly after midnight and had stopped on a ‘refs’ break.

"They were in exactly the right place at the right time and reacted to the fleeing members of public and detained a man armed with a kitchen knife.

"There were fears he could injure staff or customers so was Tasered and detained in the restaurant.

"Thankfully no-one was hurt and the man is now being questioned on suspicion of robbery and knife possession."

Tasered clown-masked armed robber at McDonald's Coventry jailed for five years



AN armed robber in a clown’s mask jumped over the counter of a McDonalds restaurant and threatened staff with a knife as he demanded money from the till.

But Zachery Ryan could not have picked a worse time to stage the raid – because as he was carrying it out, two police officers turned up to take their refreshment break.

He was arrested after being disabled by a Taser fired by one of the officers, and at Warwick Crown Court he pleaded guilty to the robbery.

Police today issued a picture of the clown mask used and footage of the incident.

Ryan (41) of no fixed address, was classed as a dangerous offender by Judge Andrew Lockhart QC after hearing that he had a previous conviction for an armed robbery.

He was jailed for five years, of which he will have to serve at least two-thirds before the Parole Board can consider his release – and may have to serve the whole sentence.

Once he is freed, he will be on licence for the rest of the five-years, and for a further three years, during which he can be recalled to prison if his behaviour gives cause for concern.

Prosecutor Tim Sapwell said that at shortly after midnight on August 7, Ryan went into the McDonalds restaurant on the Alvis Retail Park in Holyhead Road, Coventry.

Wearing a clown mask, he jumped over the counter and threatened terrified staff with a knife as he demanded money from the till.

Customers in the fast-food restaurant fled outside – just as two police officers who had been on patrol arrived to take their scheduled refreshment break.

Told by one fleeing customer what was taking place, and that Ryan was armed with a knife, they dashed inside while the robbery was still in progress.

One of the officers fired his Taser at Ryan, who Mr Sapwell said had a previous conviction for armed robbery, for which he had been jailed for 15 years, to disable him, and he was arrested.

Jailing Ryan, Judge Lockhart said the robbery had clearly been planned because he had gone there with the mask and knife, and that he poses a significant risk of causing serious harm by the commission of further offences.