Melissa Townsend

October 29th, 2008

A MAN armed with a screwdriver tried to rob the Musgrave Hill Bowls Club last night — but it didn’t stop the 60-odd patrons from finishing their game of bingo.

The man, believed to be aged in his 30s, entered the club on the corner of Kumbari and Musgrave avenues about 9.15pm.

Police said the man was wearing a blue and white cap, grey shirt and tan boardshorts and was about 178cm tall.

Bowls club secretary-manager Brian Baldwin said the man jumped over the cafe counter and sneaked behind the bar to the till.

However, his movements were being filmed on security cameras and staff members soon confronted him.

More than 50 bingo players, aged between 18 and 80, watched as the scene unfolded.

Witness Lindsay Keating said he saw the man walk into the club.

“He had a cap on and I was contemplating telling him to take it off, but thought he might just be meeting a mate,” he said. “I went outside … and when I came back everyone was all over the place.”

Another witness, Channeil Harvey, 20, said she heard one of the employees shout ‘don’t even think about it’ before staff confronted the man.

The culprit escaped and jumped the bar before fleeing to the courtyard.

There he was cornered by male patrons and staff, and this time he brandished the screwdriver.

The club’s duty manager told everyone to let the man go and he fled west along Musgrave Avenue.

By 9.45pm, the club’s patrons were happily playing bingo again while police interviewed management.

Mr Baldwin said the security footage clearly showed the man involved and he was optimistic police would catch the culprit.

“He was at least 30 years old and wore a distinctive cap,” said Mr Baldwin. “He would have to be on drugs to be so brazen.”

The bowls club has been the target of repeated robberies and at one point the venue was labelled the Gold Coast’s most robbed premises.

In April, Southport police said the club had been robbed more than 20 times since 2003.

But Mr Baldwin said increased security had reduced the incidence in recent months.