Wild moment loyal pub patron hurls bar stools at armed thief at the Boatrowers Hotel in Newcastle

Published: 00:37, 20 May 2026 | Updated: 00:48, 20 May 2026 The wild moment a loyal pub patron thwarted an armed thief by hurling multiple bar stools at him has been captured on CCTV.  Matthew Bourke, 31, entered the Boatrowers Hotel in Newcastle with a fake gun and a knife on a Saturday night hoping to steal cash.  However, he ended up in intensive care for ten days with a broken arm and head injuries after being subdued by a group of punters.  CCTV showed Mr Bourke entering the pub and walking towards the bar, while pulling out a gas-operated gel ball air pistol.  He then made his way to the till and tried to open it.  But his efforts were quickly interrupted by a patron enjoying a drink at the bar, who decided to take matters into his own hands.  He hurled a stool at Mr Bourke, who yelled 'Do you wanna f***ing go you c***? I'll f***ing blow your head off you dog.' 'Do it then,' the local said, before being told to 'f*** off'.  The armed thief's efforts were interrupted by a patron enjoying a drink at the bar, who decided to take matters into his own hands and throw several bar stools (pictured) Matthew Bourke, 31, entered Boatrowers Hotel in Newcastle with a fake gun and a knife on a Saturday night last year hoping to steal some cash Mr Bourke stabbed the man in the shoulder, prompting him to throw another stool.  The thief then hurled a bottle of wine at the brave citizen, narrowly missing him.  'You're a f***ing hero', he said sarcastically. Satisfied with his takings, Mr Bourke headed for the exit, before noticing a woman filming the ordeal. 'Give me your phone,' he said, but the woman stood her ground and fought back. 'No, don't touch me,' she said.  While fending her off, Mr Bourke dropped some of the money and tried to pick it up, but bolted when a customer approached holding a stool.  However, he didn't get far. Two other customers chased, tackled and pinned him down, with more coming across to help keep him on the ground.  The Boatrowers Hotel in Newcastle is pictured The Daily Mail has contacted the Boatrowers Hotel for comment. Mr Bourke was sentenced to a maximum of six years at Newcastle District Court last week. He will be eligible for parole in three-and-a-half years.  Many Aussies praised the actions of those who tried to defend the pub.  'The barmaid and the locals in the pub deserve a pure gold bravery medal for pouncing on this lowlife. Very well done,' one person said.  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.