Police hunting two bandits over Kingsville bottle shop robbery, shooting
Written for the Herald Sun. View original article.
AN innocent father shot as two bandits fled an armed robbery five years ago has spoken of his brush with death. The father of two, who sustained injuries to his arm and hand, was shot through the driver’s side window of his stationary car at Kingsville in Melbourne’s west. The offenders moments earlier threatened staff at a bottle shop on Geelong Rd, firing a shot at the register and fleeing with alcohol. The father, aged in his 50s and who did not wish to be named, said he tried to drive away on seeing the shooter who seemed “very agitated and disturbed”. He had no idea the man was armed until he opened fire. Even with three surgeries and two weeks in hospital, the father still has limited use of his thumb. “I was very unlucky but I appreciate that it could have been a lot worse,” he said.
The victim of an attempted muder and armed robbery shows where he was shot. Picture: Jay Town
A CCTV image of a man wanted over a robbery and attempted murder in Kingsville in 2011. Picture: AAP
The men threatened staff and fired a shot into the cash register. Picture: AAP
The father spent two years in therapy trying to comprehend his narrow escape and said it had deeply affected his family. “One of my kids, who was at a young age, has grown up thinking this is normal,’’ he said. “My other child, who was in his teenage years, had a coloured outlook on life after this happened.” Armed Crime Squad detectives hope CCTV of the bottle shop robbery will shed new light on the attempted murder, which occurred on October 1, 2011 at about 7.45pm. “This was an unprovoked and unnecessarily violent attack,” Inspector Stephen Clark said. “It is only through grace of God he is not more seriously injured of worse.” The offenders are believed to have fled in a white Saab sedan. Police wish to speak with two men. Both were Pacific Islander in appearance, aged in their 20s to 30s and of solid build. The first offender wore a black hooded jumper with black tracksuit pants and carried a sports bag. The second wore a white hooded jumper with black stripes on the sleeves, a white or light coloured scarf covering his face and was carried a black satchel. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers via 1800 333 000 or crimestoppersvic.com.au.
