Teen charged with attempted murder after tavern robbery

File photo / Martin Sykes

A teenager was showing injuries from a struggle as he made an appearance in Christchurch District Court charged with the Wednesday night armed robbery of the Glenbyre Tavern in Bromley.

Police say patrons had wrestled the alleged robber to the ground and held him there untll police arrived.

They have charged Ryan Randall Vlietstra, an unemployed 19-year-old from Beckenham, with attempted murder for firing a shot from a cut-down .22 rifle that narrowly missed causing a tavern patron serious injury.

Vlietstra appeared before Judge John Bisphan and was remanded in custody to Monday.

He is also charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, being armed with a firearm with the intention of using it to commit assault with intent to rob, and assaulting a woman with intent to rob her while armed with the rifle.

Police said earlier that the incident happened about 10.45pm on Wednesday when two men entered the tavern in Keighleys Road. One had a firearm and the other had a knife.

The men told the patrons and staff to get down on the floor which they did. Staff were able to alert their security company.

In the meantime, the man with the knife was approached by one of the patrons and after an altercation he ran from the tavern.

The man with the firearm attempted to get into the office at the tavern. He was disturbed by other patrons and fired the rifle at one of them, narrowly missing causing the patron serious injury, police said.

The patrons wrestled the man to the ground where he was apprehended by the police a short time later.

The man who ran away is described as about 162.5cm tall, of medium build, wearing a cap or balaclava and a black top.

Police have warned people to comply with armed robbers' demands in the wake of the incident.

While the patrons were brave to restrain the robbers, they were lucky to avoid serious injury, said Detective Sergeant Leairne Dow of Christchurch Central CIB.

In future, people should comply with armed robbers' demands to reduce the risk of getting injured, she said.

- NZPA