Smash and grabber nabbed, diamonds on the floor in Hamilton mall heist

Jul 23, 2023

A teen would-be robber was pinned to the ground by quick-thinking mall staff after hammer and knife-armed thieves hit a jewellery store in a crowded Hamilton Mall on Friday afternoon.

And when the dust settled thousands of dollars worth of diamonds were strewn across the floor at the feet of a startled crowd of onlookers.

The Michael Hill Jeweller in Chartwell Shopping Centre was reportedly hit by people wearing masks at around 3pm – a peak time on a rainy school holiday afternoon.

But the tables were turned for at least one would-be robber, with the thug, who appeared to be in his mid-teens collared by brave security guards and another store, who held him down and locked him in until police arrived.

Witness Thando Mabhena, 21, was working at Lower clothing opposite the jewellers when he heard the sound of smashing glass nearby.

“I heard some smashing and thought someone was calling my name. (Co-worker) Kevin was closing the door and I could see people panicking and families running and all that.”

READ MORE: * Smash and grab at jeweller in Hamilton shopping centre - perp caught in the act * Bystanders' shock as trio raid Michael Hill store at Bayfair Shopping Centre * Ram raid heists continue with Chartwell Shopping Centre hit again

Leaving his store to investigate, Mabhenu, who coincidentally had been witness to a robbery at another Hamilton Michael Hill branch last year, said that he saw a group of about “three or four younger kids and a bunch of older guys” smashing the counter of the jewellers with hammers.

“I could see the raiders going crazy. They came in with hammers and knives and started taking jewellery and all that type of stuff.”

Mabhenu says the thieves were aggressive towards bystanders.

“They were threatening everyone in the area to leave them alone, type of thing.”

In video of the thieves fleeing the store an elderly woman walking slowly with a cane can be seen only metres from the running and armed offenders.

But quick thinking by security guards saw one of the thieves apprehended at the mall.

“The security guys jumped to action and tried to stop a couple of them swinging, (stop them) trying to hurt some people,” he said.

According to Mabhenu, a security guard threw a post used to divide queues, at one of the thieves.

After being approached by security, one of the older members of the group returned with a knife and started wielding it towards other mall staff.

“The older brother of the younger guy came back with a hammer and a knife, that’s when me and Kevin, who were just guarding the store - we didn’t expect him to come back with weapons - We just stood off.”

What happened next was a display unseen amongst the litany of increasingly audacious robberies plaguing the country in recent times.

One of the accused was caught on the spot.

“So when they caught him... they dragged him from the couch to in here [the Lower shop] and they all fell over on top of the pot plant... We opened the doors, so they could bring him in and then we closed them.”

“For a while there, there was $15,000-$16,000 of diamonds on the ground.”

A police spokesperson confirmed they were called at about 3.05pm after a group of offenders armed with weapons entered a store.

No one was injured during the incident, police said.

Police took one person into custody and charges were being considered. They were trying to locate the rest of the offenders.

Michael Hill Jeweller has been approached for comment.