Robbery prompts family to shut shop

Published on Stuff.co.nz and the Waikato Times

It may have been a fake pistol, but the crime was real.

A lone robber used a plastic gun to hold up a shopkeeper at a Hamilton superette, then made off with the till and an estimated $1000 in cash inside it.

The till was found in the grounds of Whitiora School on Saturday morning, but police were still looking for the robber.

Shopkeeper Ajit Singh Sagoo, 79, of the Ulster St Superette in Whitiora, was beaten in the robbery, about 7.10pm on Friday.

Now his concerned family is forcing him to retire.

Sagoo has owned the shop since 1975 and his family owns the motels next door.

He had just finished counting some of the money in the till when the robber, who was wearing a balaclava, came into his store.

"I had just had my meal and was sitting on the stool . . . he threw a bag on the counter and said 'money, money' and then put a gun to my head.

"I looked up and suddenly realised the gun was not a real one - I could easily recognise that."

At first, Sagoo thought someone was playing a practical joke.

"I could only see his eyes. I moved forward and said: 'What the hell is this?' He threw a hand on my face."

Sagoo gestured to his jaw with a fist and said it was a powerful punch.

"It hurts when I eat," he said.

Sagoo then reached for the man, who punched him in the chest so hard he fell back into the shelves behind him and hit his head and shoulder.

"He started moving and grabbed the till," Sagoo said. "He pulled it with a strong jerk and all the wiring broke. Then he ran away, with the till, towards the doors."

Sagoo grabbed the phone and followed the robber outside and saw him running towards the school. He then called police.

He estimates more than $1000 was in the till, made up of a mixture of currencies from the foreign visitors who stay at the motels.

Sagoo was taken to Waikato Hospital and said a policeman picked him up at 3am to take him home again.

"It only hurts here when I touch it," he said pointing to his chest.

Although the business had been subjected to petty theft in the past, they had never experienced an incident of this magnitude before.

Sagoo's family, who say they have been wanting him to retire for a while now, have closed the store for the time being - much to Sagoo's annoyance.

They said they wanted him to get some rest.

"If I rest, I rust," he said.

Waikato CIB Detective Senior Sergeant Nigel Keall said the robber entered the superette and pointed his imitation pistol at the shopkeeper.

"A struggle has then ensued. During the struggle he's struck the victim several times with the pistol and punched him several times in the head.

"While he's been striking him with the pistol the pistol has disintegrated. It was clearly made of plastic. He's then thrown a belt bag or a bum bag at the victim, grabbed the whole till and run out of the shop with the till."

No other customers or staff were in the shop at the time, Keall said.

The till was found in the school grounds, leading police to believe the man ran off after the robbery and passed through the area.

Police have CCTV footage of the incident.

A previous aggravated robbery took place in Hamilton last Thursday and police were looking at links between the two.

"We're seeing what the similarities are and whether they possibly are connected," Keall said.

Two men armed with a knife robbed Cheep Liquor in Claudelands, about 4.30pm.

Police also had video footage of that incident.

In the case of the Ulster St Superette robbery, the culprit had his face covered but was of medium height and build.

He was wearing dark blue shorts and a dark or black-coloured hoodie.

Anyone with information can either ring Hamilton police on 07 858 6200 and ask for Detective Constable Rene Rakete, or give the information anonymously through the Crimestoppers tip-off line on 0800 555 111.