Last year, on a Saturday evening, Matthew Bourke walked into the Boatrowers Hotel in Stockton with the intent to commit a robbery. Armed with what appeared to be a gun, he moved behind the counter and began to empty the cash register. However, it was later revealed that the weapon was merely a gel blaster.
As Bourke was in the midst of his heist, a brave patron intervened, taking action by swinging a barstool at him. Undeterred, Bourke retaliated, threatening to fire the fake gun and then escalating the situation by stabbing the patron in the shoulder.
The patron, showing remarkable resilience, was not intimidated by the attack and responded by hurling another stool at Bourke. With cash in hand, Bourke attempted to flee the scene.
In a final twist, as he tried to escape, Bourke encountered a woman who had been recording the entire incident.
However, he then confronted a woman who was filming the altercation.
“Give me that phone!” he was heard saying.
The woman fought back, causing Bourke to drop some of his cash, and he made a getaway when another patron approaches him with a barstool.
He was then chased down and tackled to the ground by several locals.
The patron who was stabbed did not suffer any long-term injuries, and Bourke was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment for the robbery attempt.
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