Witness appeal after trio of armed robberies of off-licences over 24-hour period

Irish Daily Mirror

5 days ago

An appeal for witnesses and information has been issued following a string of armed robberies at off-licences in south Belfast this week.
Detectives from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) revealed that they received reports of three armed robberies at off-licences within 24 hours and they are all believed to have been carried out by the same person.
Detective Sergeant Leeman said: "We received a report at around 9.05pm on Wednesday, 30th July that a man had entered an off-licence store in the Sunnyside Street area. He told the staff to hand over money from the till before threatening them with a knife. He then made off with a sum of cash in a small brown paper bag, headed in the direction of Haywood Avenue.
"The suspect is described as being approximately 6ft tall and of medium build. He was wearing a blue Adidas hoodie which had red upper arms featuring three white stripes and a red hood, pulled tight around his face. He also wore black tracksuit bottoms and black and white trainers, along with sunglasses and black gloves."
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Any witnesses to this robbery, which took place between 8.40pm and 8.50pm, or who saw the suspect, can contact investigators on 101 and quote reference number 1567 of 30/07/25.
Reports of a second armed robbery were received by police just before 1pm the next day, Thursday July 31, when a man went into an off-licence in the Stranmillis Road area.
Detective Sergeant Leeman said: "The male entered the store at around 12.45pm and threatened staff with a knife, demanding cash before making off in the direction of Stranmillis Park.
"He is described as being 5ft 10'' tall and of average build, with a dark beard. He was wearing a red and blue hoodie with the hood tied across his face, along with navy jogging bottoms and a dark-coloured glove with light sections on his right hand."
Anyone who saw a man matching the above description or who may have CCTV or dash-cam footage of the around the time of the incident can contact investigators on 101 and quote reference number 699 of 31/07/25.
A third armed robbery was reported later that day, at 8.20pm, when a man entered an off-licence in the Ormeau Road area.
Detective Sergeant Leeman said: "Again, this report involved a man entering the store and threatening staff with a knife, demanding that they hand over the contents of the till.
"We believe this is the same individual involved with the previous two robberies, who is described as being 5ft 10'' - 6ft tall, of medium build and approximately 40 years old. He was wearing light-grey tracksuit bottoms and a grey fleece, along with a navy beanie hat, a white T-shirt or bandanna used as a mask and black gloves. He also wore khaki-coloured trainers and carried a white plastic bag.
"The suspect made off in the direction of the city centre and we're appealing to anyone who saw a man matching this description, or who may have CCTV or dash-cam footage from the area, to contact us on 101, quoting reference number 1448 of 31/07/25."
A report can also be submitted online using the non-emergency reporting form here or Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online here.
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