Terrified shoppers at Rutherford’s Aldi store watched in horror this week as a young staff member was allegedly bashed with a bottle of bourbon while trying to stop two thieves.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The incident occurred around 4pm on Monday when two men aged in their mid 20s walked into the store’s liquor section, allegedly removed two bottles of bourbon from shelves and began to flee the premises.
A female staff member attempted to stop one of the men by grabbing his jumper.
An eyewitness who spoke to Fairfax Media said the man swung around and struck her across the face with the bottle causing her to fall to the ground.
Details of the incident were posted on Facebook sparking outrage from readers.
A spokeswoman for Aldi said the company is aware of the incident but did not want to comment.
The incident occurred during the store’s busy afternoon rush with many customers witnessing the attack. One shopper who was at a checkout, saw the men walk in and remove the alcohol from the shelf.
“They looked suss and you could tell that they were high on something,” the shopper said. “They took two bottles of bourbon and started to go to the exit. I touched the person I was with and said they were going to steal something.
“I saw an Aldi girl follow the men out. She grabbed one by his jacket and he swung around and smashed the bottle into her face,” they said.
The shopper said the girl fell to the ground. “I helped her up and she was crying. She stood up and had her head in her hands and blood was everywhere, all over her and dripping onto the floor. I told her to stay still and not to open her eyes in case there was broken glass in her hair or on her face that might fall into her eyes. An off duty nurse came to her aid then helped store managers take her out the back,” the shopper said.
A person with the witness chased the men. That person, who also declined to be named, took vision of the offenders’ getaway on a phone capturing the license plate, make and model of a vehicle, and is handing it over to police along with a statement. “It all just happened so fast. People in the store were in shock and shaken by the ordeal.”
Maitland Police could not be contacted for comment.
The offenders are described as being aged 20 to 25, the man who allegedly attacked the woman was Caucasian wearing a white shirt and hat, the other was of Aboriginal appearance.
