In a scene straight out of a police drama, former The Bill actor Jeff Stewart turned real-life crimefighter when he confronted and detained a brazen thief outside his West London home. The dramatic citizen's arrest has now resulted in a prison sentence for the serial offender.
Kacper Gorski, a 26-year-old with an extensive criminal record, thought he'd identified an easy target when he began rifling through a van parked near the actor's property. What he didn't anticipate was that the resident would be a television police veteran ready to spring into action.
From Screen to Streets: Actor's Quick Thinking
Stewart, who famously played PC Reg Hollis in the long-running ITV series, heard commotion outside his home and immediately investigated. Discovering Gorski in the act of theft, the actor didn't hesitate to intervene.
'My police training from The Bill kicked in,' Stewart later remarked about the incident. 'I knew I had to act quickly and decisively to prevent this criminal from escaping.'
The actor managed to physically restrain Gorski while simultaneously alerting the actual authorities. Metropolitan Police officers arrived promptly at the scene to take the struggling thief into custody.
Criminal History Catches Up With Offender
Westminster Magistrates' Court heard that Gorski was no first-time offender. The Polish national, residing in Ealing, had accumulated 43 previous convictions for 78 offences, primarily targeting vehicles and properties across London.
His modus operandi typically involved:
- Scouting for unlocked vehicles
- Stealing tools and valuable items
- Targeting multiple locations in quick succession
- Evading capture through quick getaways
This time, however, his luck ran out when he chose the wrong street and encountered the wrong resident.
Justice Served: Thief Behind Bars
District Judge Michael Snow delivered a stern verdict, sentencing Gorski to 26 weeks imprisonment and ordering him to pay £300 in compensation and costs.
'This was a determined attempt at theft,' Judge Snow declared from the bench. 'You have an appalling record for similar matters and were on post-sentence supervision at the time. Only immediate custody is appropriate.'
The sentence brings some satisfaction to Stewart and other London residents who have fallen victim to similar crimes. It also serves as a powerful reminder that sometimes, television fiction can inspire real-world heroism.
