Shopkeeper expresses his disappointment when suspect is cleared in court.
A shopkeeper, who chased off a pair of gun-wielding thieves, is disappointed in the justice system after the only suspect was cleared in court.
The unnamed 17-year-old was found not guilty of armed robbery by a Birmingham Crown Court jury last month.
Ranjit Singh Dhami, who runs his Frankley Convenience and News shop inHolly Hill Road, Frankley, said he could not believe the outcome.
The 41-year-old told reporters, “I just can’t believe it.Nobody has been convicted, which means the thugs who did this are free to do this to anybody else.
“I can’t fault the police – they have been fantastic. But I just don’t understand how this could happen.”
The father-of-two was given a Birmingham Mail Local Hero award by the publication for refusing to open the till despite being threatened with gun last August.
Mr Dhami told the newspaper at the time, “I have worked so hard over 16 years to build my business up. I’ll be damned if I let someone walk in here and take the money. They came to the wrong shop.”
West Midlands Police are still investigating the case and have appealed for new information; however Mr Dhami feels that justice has not been served.
He told the newspaper, “They took fingerprints from the bag that was thrown at me in the video.
“I had CCTV and there was a witness. If I have no hope of getting a result in court what chance is there for decent hard-working people who are mugged by armed criminals in the street? The raiders pointed the gun, but I feel like the justice system has pulled the trigger on me.
My father brought me up to be a proud Sikh who would never rob from anybody and would not stand by and be robbed.”
