Devoy hot-foots it after bike thief

Susan Devoy

It could have been a scene from a Hollywood movie. Instead, it was a bizarre incident involving a man on a stolen bike, two burglary victims and Dame Susan Devoy in Tauranga.

The unlikely tale of chance and bravery unfolded when Papamoa couple Allan and Vicky Luckman saw what appeared to be their stolen motorbike stopped at traffic lights on Thursday with a young man on it.

An hour or so later in a downtown carpark, they desperately wrestled him as he sat astride the Honda VTR 250, revving the engine and trying to run them over.

A shaken Mrs Luckman had her arm whacked and her back wrenched.

The thief fled on foot - pursued by none other than Dame Susan, a former world squash champion and Sport Bay of Plenty representative.

Ironically, just before midday the Luckmans were on their way to an insurance appointment relating to the theft of the bike when they spotted it at the Cameron Rd and Elizabeth St lights.

The rider - described as a slim-built European man, probably in his early 20s, of medium height, with "number two" clipped blond hair and wearing a black-and-white jacket, grey army pants and carrying a grey or black satchel - was travelling in the opposite, northerly direction along Cameron Rd.

Wedged in by traffic, the Luckmans did a u-turn to follow him but lost sight of man and bike. They searched countless central-city carparks and alleyways and had nearly given up hope when they spotted him again in the Devonport Rd carpark behind Wrights Sports.

Pulling up and blocking him in, they leaped from the car and battled for the bike.

Mr Luckman lunged for the ignition switch several times before reaching it.

They eventually wrenched the motorbike from the man by rocking it on to its side.

The bike was rammed into Mrs Luckman's arm and her back was strained.

Meanwhile Dame Susan - getting sushi with her sons but returning to her car for her credit card - spotted the tussle and called out.

"It was getting really aggro," she said. "I couldn't work it out. I thought if it was a stolen bike, how had he started it?"

Mrs Luckman yelled to call the police, just as the thief ran off. Dame Susan took up the chase, urging Devonport Rd pedestrians to join her.

He crossed the road just before Elizabeth St and lost the helmet as it clipped a shop sign. He then darted around the corner out of sight - leaving Dame Susan gutted he had got away.

"I just wanted to catch him but I couldn't run fast enough."

Stunned onlookers Melanie Archibald and Nicole Ryan, 18-year-old students, watched the saga from beside their parked car.

"He was just revving and I thought he was going to hit them or run them over," Ms Archibald told the Bay of Plenty Times.

In the carpark, Mrs Luckman managed to photograph the man but only after he had stuffed his helmet on.

Constable Tim Mills urged anyone who may have seen the man to contact Tauranga police.

- BAY OF PLENTY TIMES