Security Guard Stabbed in Leg While Chasing Shoplifter Over £20 Theft
This is the harrowing moment a B&M Bargains security guard nearly lost his life after being stabbed while attempting to apprehend a shoplifter who had stolen goods worth just £20. The incident occurred outside the discount store in Preston, Lancashire, exactly one year ago today, as captured in chilling CCTV footage.
Andrzej Mikulski, 27, stabbed the worker, identified only as Jeff in his 40s, in the thigh with a kitchen knife. The footage, featured in the new Channel 5 documentary Police Interceptors: Taking Down the Shoplifting Gangs, shows Jeff following Mikulski out of the shop on Carlisle Street after the thief walked past staff holding a basket of unpaid items.
Dramatic Chase and Life-Threatening Injury
The video reveals Mikulski being chased by Jeff before turning and stabbing him. Mikulski then fled the scene as staff frantically called emergency services. In a panicked 999 call, an employee reported, 'Our security guard's just been stabbed in the leg.' When asked if there was heavy bleeding, she confirmed, 'Yeah it is. Quick. He's been stabbed.' The operator assured her an ambulance was on its way.
The employee attempted to provide first aid, stating, 'I've just got some towels off the shop floor. We're just putting some pressure on it now.' Three medically-trained police officers raced to the scene, administering life-saving treatment including tourniquets to stem the severe bleeding. One officer noted, 'They've tourniqueted twice and direct pressure but he's still bleeding badly. He's in a bad way.' Another added, 'You don't put a tourniquet on unless it's arterial and if it's arterial you've got minutes to stop the bleeding, or someone's going to bleed out.'
Emergency Surgery and Arrest
Jeff was airlifted to Royal Preston Hospital for emergency surgery, where two consultant vascular surgeons discovered the knife had come dangerously close to passing completely through his thigh. Approximately 45 minutes after the stabbing, firearms officers patrolling Preston city centre stopped and arrested Mikulski on Edward Street.
Mikulski was found with blood stains on his hands and jacket sleeve, carrying a backpack, and in possession of a kitchen knife with a 19cm x 3cm pointed blade. His clothing and description matched witness accounts from B&M Bargains. Further investigation revealed the stabbing was part of a broader spree of offences committed by Mikulski in Preston on February 26 last year, including:
- Stealing a rucksack containing a laptop from Preston Market offices on Earl Street after brandishing a knife.
- Multiple thefts from shops.
- Theft of a bicycle.
Sentencing and Aftermath
Andrzej Mikulski, of no fixed address, was found guilty by a jury at Preston Crown Court in August last year of Section 18 wounding with intent. Prior to trial, he pleaded guilty to robbery, attempted robbery, three counts of possessing a knife or bladed article in a public place, and four theft offences.
At a sentencing hearing in October, Mikulski was jailed for 22 years and 6 months for wounding with intent, with concurrent terms for the other crimes. He must serve 17 years before being eligible for parole. Mikulski refused to appear in court to hear his sentence and had been remanded in custody since his arrest in February.
Lancashire Police Detective Constable Alex Akers of Preston CID commented after the sentencing, 'Andrzej Mikulski was prepared to use a knife to stab a man and inflict a horrendous injury on a security guard, all for the sake of escaping with a basket of goods which he had stolen from B&M Bargains. Had it not been for the actions of the police officers and paramedics at the scene, and then the skill of the surgeons, an innocent man might well have lost his life.'
Months later, Jeff had an emotional reunion with the Lancashire Police team who saved his life, expressing gratitude for their swift response. The documentary Police Interceptors: Taking Down the Shoplifting Gangs airs on Channel 5, highlighting this and other cases of retail crime.
