A bungling thief who tried to rob a taxi driver at knife point to pay for more booze gave himself up and admitted “I’m an idiot” after he was arrested by a CHIEF CONSTABLE.
Nottinghamshire Police chief constable Chris Eyre leapt into action to arrest thug David Jenkins, 45, after responding to a 999 call.
Police were called in the early hours of May 17 after Jenkins pressed a six inch blade into the side of cab driver Satnam Singh and demanded he hand over his takings in Lenton, Notts.
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Mr Singh was on the phone to his cousin Gurvinder at the time who raised the alarm after he heard Jenkins making threats to him.
But Jenkins got more than he bargained for when the the senior officer dashed to the scene and managed to disarm him before arresting him.
After recognising the force’s top cop, Jenkins gave himself up before telling the 50-year-old police chief: “I’m sorry, I’ve been an idiot”.
On Friday Jenkins, from Radford, Notts., was jailed for three years four months after he admitted attempted robbery at Nottingham Crown Court.
He was also ordered to serve an additional 16 months concurrently for possessing the knife.
Judge Michael Stokes gave Jenkins credit for his early plea, and said it was “comforting” to see the chief constable working on the frontline.
Mr Eyre, who has been serving as the most senior officer on the force since August, said: “The taxi driver had been utterly terrified.
“The offender was describing himself as an idiot for what he had done.
“He said he needed money for alcohol.”
Richard Posner, defending, told the court Jenkins was an alcoholic who drank up to four litres of cider a day.
Mr Eyre was brought to the force from Leicestershire Police in 2010 and was appointed chief constable last August.
He was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal in 2011.
Speaking at the time of his appointment Mr Eyre, who is married with three children, said: “I am determined to ensure that quality of policing in Nottinghamshire is the best in the country.”
*Last week new chief constable of North Yorkshire Police Dave Jones was hailed a hero after he was captured on CCTV chasing an assault suspect through the streets of Richmond just hours into his new job.
