2nd arrest in daring smash and grab robbery
Police investigate daylight armed robbery in St. John's
Last Updated: Friday, November 20, 2009 | 6:58 PM NT
CBC News
A second man believed to have been involved in a robbery at a jewelry store in downtown St. John's was arrested Friday, police said.
The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary said a 30-year-old was being held in custody until a court appearance, but there's no word on what charges the man might face.
The daylight robbery at TimeCo happened Thursday around 4 p.m.
Jeweller Frank Dwyer said his hands were severely cut during an armed robbery Thursday in St. John's. (CBC) A jeweller who chased down one of the robbers Thursday said he may never be able to practise his craft again because of the incident.
Frank Dwyer's hands were severely cut during the robbery at TimeCo, a family-run jewelry store in the downtown area.
"Two of these are done for good," Dwyer told CBC News as he pointed out the injuries to his fingers. "They [doctors] can't do nothing with these, there's no skin left to them. They took the piece right off the top of that one."
Dwyer said two men entered the store at about 4 p.m. He said one of them was carrying a sock with something in it, and he used it to smash glass counters.
Dwyer said it all happened within 10 seconds, with the robbers running off with a tray of rings.
Dwyer's hands were cut by the jagged glass during the robbery, but he said he and some co-workers still ran after the men.
They caught up to one man and held him for police.
The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary arrested 22-year-old Nicholas Gardis. He appeared in provincial court in St. John's Friday and was charged with robbery.
Jeweller Frank Dwyer shows his hands that were injured during a robbery at his family-run jewelry store Thursday afternoon. (CBC) Court documents show Gardis has prior convictions for armed robbery, robbery and assault with a weapon. He was sentenced in January to two years in prison, and placed on two years probation.
Dwyer said he got the stolen rings back, but he needed two dozen stitches to close his wounds, and lost the tip of one of his fingers.
Dwyer said the man he caught showed no remorse, and even taunted him after he was arrested.
"When he got into the cop car, he looked at me and he said, 'See you in 30 days.'"
