Hero Ravi honoured for foiling attacker in West Bromwich fish and chip shop attempted robbery
It was a journey he had made countless times before but as Ravi Kumar headed to a friend's house on the way home from work, little did he know that he would soon have to thrust himself into danger.
The 32-year-old was driving in Dial Lane, West Bromwich, when he was met with a horrifying sight. It was an elderly man desperately trying to fend off an attacker who was attempting to rob his fish and chip shop.
Outside on the pavement the pair were grappling. But as Ravi approached he could see that the elderly man was losing the battle.
"When I got closer I realised it was serious. The attacker was a heavy guy and the other man was in his 70s," said Ravi, a father-of-four of Perry Hill Road, Oldbury. He decided he couldn't ignore what was happening.
"I tried to stop him but he didn't stop, he kicked me a couple of times. I put my hands out to try and stop him but he carried on with the assault," he said.
"I wasn't looking to get involved in an altercation.
"There were bystanders watching, they weren't doing anything. Then they told me he was armed."
The prospect that he could be taking on someone who was armed hadn't occurred to Ravi but sure enough as he looked at the man's hands he saw he was holding what he believed to be a gun.
He would later learn the weapon was an imitation firearm, but he wasn't to know that at the time.
He said: "A lady came out and said he had a gun and was trying to rob us. That's when I jumped on him."
Ravi proceeded to hold down the attacker for a full 14 minutes while he waited for police to arrive. Ravi said those minutes felt more like 14 hours.
The attacker was 22-year-old James Morris, of St Vincent Crescent, Hill Top, West Bromwich.
He was jailed for three years and eight months at Wolverhampton Crown Court in April after admitting charges of possessing an imitation firearm and attempted robbery of the Britannia fish and chip shop.
He said: "Holding someone down for 14 minutes is quite difficult.
"He was a big guy. He was spitting, kicking, biting, calling me every name under the sun. He was saying if I let him go that would be the end of it." Eventually armed police arrived and arrested the attacker. Ravi's job was done.
Now, nine months after he intervened in the street attack, Ravi has been recognised for his heroic actions.
He works in Birmingham for Serco, which assists the Government in various different areas including health and defence.
The company holds a special ceremony for employees who have done extraordinary things for colleagues, customers or the community. Ravi was nominated in the Heart category which awards employees for bravery. And it is not just the fish and chip shop owners who Ravi has been able to help.
He was given the opportunity to donate £500 to a charity of his choice as part of Serco's awards scheme.
He chose to donate the cash to 15-year-old West Bromwich Albion fanatic Josh Slaney via The Albion Foundation, which will be put towards his dream of seeing England play at Wembley.
Looking back on his actions outside the chip shop last September, Ravi admits it was only when it emerged the attacker might have a gun that he began to think about his own safety.
He said: "I am a father of four, all under the age of 10. But I thought 'am I going to be able to live with myself tomorrow knowing that someone has been seriously hurt?'
"If I was in that situation I would like someone to help me.
"There's a saying that you should treat people the way you want to be treated and I believe that."
