Crime-fighting hero known as Mr T leaves Karl Stefanovic in hysterics as he reveals how he stopped robbers in their tracks before giving one some much-needed life advice
- A hero truck driver has retold the story of how he stopped two would-be thieves
- The Kiwi known as ‘T’ stopped the robbery while on a delivery in Queensland
- He appeared on Today on Friday and left host Karl Stefanovic in stitches
A truck driver who stopped a pair of bungling robbers in their tracks then dished out some life advice while he sat on one of them, has left Today host Karl Stefanovic in stitches.
New Zealand man Turawaho Hemopo, known as ‘T’ to his friends, appeared on the program on Friday morning to share the hilarious tale.
He told how he foiled the crime as he was delivering some magazines to a Coles supermarket at Yarrabilba on Brisbane’s southern outskirts on February 27.
T said he was driving his truck to the Coles just like any ‘normal day’ when he noticed a lady waving him down from the medical centre next door.
‘I was just like… ‘hello?’ I didn’t know what she was waving at, to be honest,’ T said.
A truck driver who stopped a pair of would-be robbers in their tracks before offering them life advice has left Today host Karl Stefanovic (above, with co-host Allison Langdon) in stitches
Kiwi man Turawaho Hemopo, known as ‘T’ to his friends, appeared on the program to share how he foiled a robbery
He said she kept on waving so he jumped out of his truck and the woman told him two men were robbing the pharmacy next door.
Mr T said he asked, ‘Right now?’ in his distinctive kiwi accent and the woman said, ‘Yeah, right now.’
He told her to wait there and he would ‘check it out, hey’.
He said he walked over and stood in front of the pharmacy doors, catching sight of the burglars.
‘Mate, what are youse up to?’ he asked, prompting them to turn around and started walking towards him.
T was unsure if they had weapons so he took a step back and the first robber ran past him.
‘I was like, bro, you got away. The second fella looked at me and I thought you are not going anywhere, fella,’ he recalled.
Enthralled host Karl Stefanovic asked what happened next, to which T replied that he tackled the second offender to the ground.
The robber struggled at first but quickly gave up and told T he was 15.
Having a teenage son himself, T said his fatherly instinct kicked in and he decided to dish out some advice.
CCTV footage of T tackling one of the bungling burglars to the ground in Queensland
‘I was like, mate, I have a 15-year-old son, why are you hanging out with these drop kicks? They are not good for you. Like you got your whole life ahead of you, bud.’
He said the kid offered him a $200 bribe to let him go but he just pointed to his truck and told him that he already had a job.
The interview then wrapped up with the hero truckie inviting a highly amused Karl over for a barbecue.
Police also thanked T for his role in apprehending the thieves.