An off-duty police officer (who did not wish to be named) who risked his life to intervene following a knifepoint robbery has been described as heroic and selfless, as the brothers who attacked him pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
The PC, who works for the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), intervened after Hannan and Humar Mahmood brandished machetes as they robbed an electric bike in broad daylight.
The incident took place on the ramp outside the shopping centre in Luton town centre on 2 November last year, in front of shocked onlookers.
The officer, who was with his wife at the time, bravely stood in the way of the masked duo as they attempted to make off on the stolen vehicle, declaring himself to be a police officer and making use of nearby plastic barriers to try and bring them to a stop.
Instead, they attacked him, causing injuries to his arms and chest.
Hannan, 20, and Humar, 18, both of Belmont Road, Luton, were tracked following extensive enquiries by Bedfordshire Police and the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit.
At Luton Crown Court on Monday, they pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent and dangerous driving, having previously pleaded guilty to robbery and possession of offensive weapons.
Detective Inspector Caeva Taylor from the Major Crime Unit said, “The Mahmood brothers showed utter disregard for the lives of those around them, robbing an innocent victim, waving around a dangerous weapon and erratically driving an electric bike in a pedestrian area on a busy Saturday afternoon.
“They were willing to risk killing an off-duty police officer in order to make their getaway.
“The brazen violence they showed has no place on the streets of Bedfordshire, and I am thankful that the overwhelming evidence in the case against them has resulted in guilty pleas today.”
Hannan and Humar Mahmood will be sentenced on Monday, 23 June.
