Accompanied by his two sons, tradesman Dean Bathurst managed to detain a suspect for half an hour, completely unaware that the individual had allegedly committed a violent crime earlier, involving the armed assault and theft of a woman’s car.

The dramatic scene unfolded on camera shortly after 7 a.m. on a Tuesday morning, when Dean noticed an unfamiliar person inside his vehicle in Bindoon, located roughly 70 kilometers north of Perth.

At the age of 57, Dean sprang into action clad only in his underwear.

“We wrestled on the ground for a solid 10 minutes, trying to subdue him to prevent any harm to us, him, or to stop him from escaping,” explained Dean.

His sons were right there to assist.

“I saw the dogs going berserk and then I saw my brother and my Dad and I thought, ‘Oh, what’s going on here’,” son Grayson Bathurst said.

“Then I saw this guy lying down on the ground and so, just natural instinct, rushed in to help.”

The accused had been spotted by the builder’s 10-year-old daughter allegedly pulling down wires from under the steering wheel.

“You know, you got the fight or flight. I’ve got a strong fight,” Dean said.

“It was like, you’re not taking my car.”

The trio restrained the man for half an hour in what Dean described as an “endurance test” as police came from Toodyay, a 50-kilometre drive away.

“I’m 120 kilos, so he wasn’t moving as I lied across his legs and his lower back, and just tried to hold out,” son Brooklyn Bathurst said.

Police allege a crime spree started about 3.30am on Tuesday when the man hijacked a car in south-east Perth as a woman was reversing out of her Gosnells driveway.

He allegedly forced his way into the vehicle, indecently assaulting the woman and making threats while holding what appeared to be a firearm.

He allegedly drove an hour north to Bindoon, dumping that car, breaking into a home, and stealing another vehicle.

After the takedown, the 31-year-old Brabham man was taken into police custody and charged with a raft of offences including armed robbery, deprivation of liberty, unlawful and indecent assault and stealing two vehicles.

He was denied bail at Armadale Magistrates Court this afternoon.

The Bathursts won’t forget the early morning takedown any time soon.

“I might actually go to bed dressed a bit better than my SpongeBob jocks from now on,” Dean said.

“Good thing I wasn’t wearing my Superman jocks, because that could have been a completely different situation. 

“But fully expect to be made into a meme after this.”