A robber in England was sentenced to three years in jail this week for attempted robbery, but it was only thanks to the quick thinking of his victim that he ended up in police custody in the first place. 

"It wasn’t the most difficult arrest we have ever made. To be honest, it was an open and shut case," Detective Sergeant Paul Mawson of Durham Constabulary told The Northern Echo. 

Martin Trimble, 30, walked into a convenience store last month in Durham City with a knife.

He picked up a four-pack of beer and used his knife to threaten the store owner. Rather than let Trimble walk away, the store owner ran outside and closed the door, holding it tight and trapping his thief inside. 

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The shop owner, who remained unnamed, then lowered the storefront shutter in an effort to make sure Trimble couldn’t escape. 

Trimble tried to avoid capture again by breaking the door free of the shop owner’s grip and trying to slip out before the shutter had fully descended. 

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But the shutter was too low and Trimble found himself pinned to the ground – his torso outside and open to the streets. 

Realizing he was beaten, Trimble cracked open one of the beers he tried to steal and drank it while he waited for the police to take him away. 

Officers arrived within three minutes of receiving the call and arrested Trimble. He pled guilty to charge of attempted robbery and possession of a knife and sentenced on June 16 to prison.