A 19-year-old robber who threatened to chop a teenager's arm off was tasered by police inside a busy McDonald's after being recognised on a bus. Theo Gottshalk, of Forest Fields, Nottingham, was jailed for 13 years as part of an extended custodial sentence at Birmingham Crown Court on October 16.
Robbery and Arrest
Gottshalk had threatened to "chop" a teenager's arm unless he handed over his phone during a robbery in Woolpack Lane, Nottingham, at around midday on September 9 last year. He fled with the youngster's phone, bracelet and chain.
Police launched a major manhunt, and two weeks later, on October 23, Gottshalk was recognised on a Nottingham bus and reported to police. Officers followed him into McDonald's in Clumber Street, where he violently resisted arrest as he tried to escape.
Bodycam Footage
Dramatic bodycam footage shows Gottshalk wrestling with four cops before losing his shirt and making a dash for the door. An officer fired a Taser at him, causing a large 3ft-long machete to tumble from his trousers and fall to the ground.
The distinctive red-handled weapon matched the description given by his victim. Cops also discovered several deal bags of cannabis Gottshalk was carrying at the time. Detectives matched clothing seized from him to CCTV footage of the robbery.
Court and Sentencing
Gottshalk, now 20, admitted robbery, possessing a knife in a public place and possession of cannabis with intent to supply. He also admitted two further robberies in Birmingham, one on September 25, 2023, and another on September 12, 2024.
Gottshalk also pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm after he was caught with a converted blank-firing pistol in Birmingham in November 2023.
Detective Constable Ben Grayson, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: "Theo Gottshalk is a callous and violent criminal who appears to think he can take what he wants when he wants from other people. He also thought nothing of putting lives at risk by carrying such a large and potentially lethal weapon in a public place. He was this point a danger to the wider public and I am pleased he has now been held to account."
