CCTV footage captures a desperate 64-year-old man’s failed attempt to rob an HSBC branch in Broadstairs, Kent, using a large black vape disguised as a gun. Staff members remained calm, triggered alarms, and alerted police, leading to his swift arrest.
The Incident Unfolds
On January 29, Gary Fishlock entered the HSBC branch at Westwood Cross shopping centre around 1:30 p.m. He handed a note to experienced clerk Eleanor Gater, which stated: “I have a gun, put the money in the bag.” Fishlock gestured toward his coat pocket, pushing forward the vape to mimic a weapon, while holding out a crumpled plastic bag.
Ms. Gater, with 15 years in banking, stayed composed. She wrote a note on her tablet and approached colleague Tanya Pinn. As Fishlock followed, demanding money, Ms. Pinn activated her personal alarm. The women retreated to an office to call police and security.
The entire incident lasted just over five minutes, mostly with Fishlock lingering before armed officers arrived and arrested him. He later admitted the pocket device was a vape meant to appear as a gun.
Court Proceedings and Sentencing
Fishlock, from Birchington, Kent, appeared at Canterbury Crown Court. He pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. Judge Alison Russell sentenced him to two years in prison and ordered the vape destroyed.
The judge detailed the fear inflicted on staff: “The fear and panic must have been considerable.” She acknowledged his desperation after losing his stonemason job on Christmas Eve and being evicted by his 14-year partner, facing homelessness. “Your view [was that] prison would be better than being homeless,” she noted.
Judge Russell emphasized: “Members of the public are free to go about shopping centres without the fear that someone will rock up with a note claiming to have a gun. Members of bank staff have the right to go to work without expecting this.”
Impact on Victims and Defense
Prosecutor Paul Valder described Ms. Gater’s reaction: her stomach dropped, and she suffered ongoing anxiety. Fishlock told police the vape made his hand look like it held a weapon.
Defense lawyer Kieran Brand explained Fishlock’s life had “crashing down,” leaving him jobless, homeless, and depressed. “He’s deeply sorry for the harm and shock caused to the members of staff,” Brand stated.
Judge Russell recognized Fishlock’s crisis but stressed the seriousness: “You did threaten with a weapon—albeit an imitation firearm.” No one was harmed, but the staff endured significant trauma.
