A RETIRED UK Special Forces expat yesterday overpowered an armed robber who was holding a gun to the head of the manageress at the Hellenic Bank branch on the Tombs of the Kings Road in Paphos.
Not only did Bentick Hinton, known as Ben, 61, save her life but his actions caused the would-be robber to turn tail and run empty-handed from the bank.
In an interview with the Cyprus Mail after the incident, Hinton said he saw red when the armed man held the pistol to the head of the manageress.
“I have used this branch every day for the last four years as its opposite my bar. I had just deposited the takings from the previous night when a man came into the branch with what looked like a pair of tights over his head and brandishing a pistol,” he said.
“He first shouted at the assistant manager who sits at the front of the bank to get on the floor in English. He then held a gun to the manageress’ head speaking threateningly in Greek.
‘I wasn’t having that. Angela is a lovely lady and she was terrified.”
Hinton, who is a retired UK special forces operative, and lives close to the bank, said the gunman turned his back for a second and he saw his chance to spring into action.
“My main priority was to point the gun up to the ceiling, and away from the manageress’ head. I came up behind the robber and grabbed the arm holding the pistol. I put my other arm around him and wrestled with him. I think I really hurt his arm. He left the money and ran away.”
Hinton said he couldn’t be sure if the gun was real or an imitation, but said it appeared to be a type of 9mm such as a Browning.
“It was the wrong colour for a Browning, as it was combat green, but this is the colour of a lot of guns,” he said. “Guns don’t scare me, I’m used to them, but I know they can be terrifying for the general public. I wasn’t scared but I was a bit shaken after the event when the adrenaline started to wear off. I went to my bar and had a couple of vodkas.”
Hinton said he had just put an envelope of €80 for petty cash in his pocket and, “there was no way I was going to let him have even that,” he said.
The ex Special Forces member related how his training kicked into gear automatically: “I’m 61 years old now, but my training is embedded in me. When I saw the gun, my eyes were everywhere. He made a mistake, he may have sized up the bank staff, but he didn’t check out the customers. He came across as desperate and not very good at what he was trying to do.”
“I just thought, ‘it’s my money in that bank as well as my staff’s and everyone else’s and there’s no way that arse**** is getting his hands on my money. It’s a small bank and the staff are lovely, I couldn’t let it happen,” he added.
Inspector Michalis Nicolaou from Paphos central police station said: “Ben did a very good and brave act, and if he hadn’t reacted in the way he did, there would certainly have been a bank robbery…though I would urge the public to be careful if there is an armed robber and not to put themselves in danger.”
Nicolaou stressed the police were very grateful for Hinton’s swift actions.
This was also the sentiment echoed by the manageress of the Hellenic Bank branch, who had to go through the terrifying ordeal of having a pistol held to her head. “He’s my hero,’’ she said of Ben.
Hinton concluded: “believe the big man upstairs decides when it’s time for us to go and today wasn’t the day. I don’t think I’m a hero, it was all a bit surreal but it’s just something that happened.”
Police hunting for the gunman said he is about 25 to 30 years of age, I.8 metres in height, of a thin build with black hair and wearing dark blue jeans and a green jacket.
“We will catch him,” assured Inspector Nicolaou. “We’re examining the CCTV footage carefully. We believe he may be of either Asian or Romanian origin.”
