Brave Edinburgh shopkeeper, who was an amateur wrestler, recalls how he fought off an armed robber
An Edinburgh shopkeeper, known as ‘Rambo’ in the local area, has recounted his experience of defending himself against a gun-wielding robber, who was subsequently sentenced to eight years in prison after attempting to raid his store.
65-year-old Khalid Mehmood, who owns the West Granton Superstore, fought bravely when a man entered his shop with a weapon on 10 October, 2021, EdinburghLive reports. The masked goon, later revealed to be David McKenzie, entered the store pointing a pistol at Mehmood. However, he was able to disarm the thug and get hold of the gun.
The grandad of 11 hit McKenzie – known as ‘Crackers’ – over the head with the weapon and managed to pull him outside, snatching the robber’s balaclava as well. After Mehmood put up a tough fight, McKenzie said, “Listen Rambo, it was only a joke. Don’t tell the polis.”
At the city’s High Court, 35-year-old McKenzie, a former customer at the store, was sentenced to prison for carrying a knife. He had 33 prior convictions.
Mehmood is a former amateur wrestler who has been known as ‘Rambo’ for decades. He told the Daily Record, “I’m glad he got eight years. It was overwhelming at the time, but I would do the same again.
“It could’ve been my wife in the shop instead of me. My customers have been very supportive. They call me a ‘hero’, although I wouldn’t say that about myself.”
At around 7:30 am on a Sunday morning, McKenzie barged into the store in the Granton area while Khalid was stationed behind the counter.
The father-of-four said, “He had a pistol and said, ‘Give me all your money, you b*****d.’ I didn’t really have time to think. I grabbed his arm and twisted it.
“He was quite strong but I got the gun off him. He turned to take his knife out at the same time but dropped it. When he picked it up, I was already hitting him with his gun. The gun was a very heavy, old-fashioned type.
“We ended up outside the shop, fighting hand to hand, and I dropped the gun. I wanted to see his face so I managed to pull his balaclava up. He pushed me and I fell over. He had the knife, but I don’t think he used it because the balaclava was off and I could see his face.
“I knew him as someone who came into the shop although I didn’t know his name. I said, ‘What the f*** are you doing?’ and he said, ‘Listen Rambo, it was only a joke. Don’t tell the polis.’ I told him to ‘f*** off’.”
After the incident, McKenzie fled on a bicycle and was eventually caught by armed police officers at a Granton flat. Despite undergoing a double knee replacement two years ago, which rendered him unable to run, Mehmood managed to defend himself against the attacker.
He added, “I was an amateur wrestler when I was younger, training at the gym at Napier College when I was a student. I did some boxing too so I’ve always been able to handle myself.”
Mehmood earned his nickname during the peak popularity of the first series of Rambo movies. Recalling the 80s, he acquired a Land Rover and modified it to resemble the Jeep used by Rambo in one of the films, which he was going to drive and visit his family in Pakistan.
He said, “Later a neighbour of mine, who was ex-Army, and I got involved in a disagreement and the Land Rover got burnt out. We had a fight and I won and the name ‘Rambo’ has stuck ever since.”
Following the incident, Mehmood’s family members were of the opinion that he should give up the store that he has been running for the past 13 years. But he admitted that he has no intentions of retiring. During McKenzie’s sentencing on Monday, Judge Lady Haldane praised Mehmood for his “quite extraordinary courage.”
McKenzie, despite denying the charges of assaulting Mehmood and attempting to rob him, was found guilty after the trial. He was convicted of possessing the knife and firearm. In defense, counsel Iain McSporran KC argued that no ammunition was found with the firearm, and it was not capable of firing in the condition it was kept.
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