Gurkha ignores knife wound to trap his Mugger for 15 mins

LONDON : Anyone with any knowledge of military history knows the golden rule – don’t mess with a Gurkha. But the knife-wielding mugger in this drama clearly had no idea what he was messing with. He pushed Taitex Phlamachha, a former member of the famous fighting force, up against a wall and demanded money.In the fight that ensued, a knife blade was buried in Mr Phlamachha’s arm, but he still managed to get the better of his attacker. The 38-year-old shop owner was taking an evening walk with his wife Asha when they stopped to look in the window of a health shop in Maidstone, Kent. 

Suddenly he was hurled against a wall and allegedly told to ‘hand over the money’, or be stabbed. The former soldier and black belt in karate and taekwondo warned his attacker: ‘Don’t mess with Gurkhas. We’re trained to fight.’ The pair fell to the ground where the mugger knelt on Mr Phlamachha’s chest and tried to stab him. Mr Phlamachha blocked the attacks and at the same time even managed to throw his mobile phone to his wife so she could dial 999. He threw the attacker off then disabled him with a kick before holding on to his clothes with one arm to stop him escaping for a full 15 minutes. 

The Iraq and Afghanistan veteran had no idea he had a blade in his arm until he saw the knife handle on the road. Medics rushed him to Maidstone Hospital before he was transferred to Tunbridge Wells Hospital, Pembury, where surgeons removed the blade. The heroic ex-soldier said: ‘I tried to warn him – don’t mess with Gurkhas. ‘I did say, “You need to know who I am”. But he didn’t listen.‘My wife was terrified he was going to kill me. She was screaming for help so I threw her my mobile phone. ‘ Eventually I threw him off me but he tried to push my wife over. I kicked him and punched him then I heard him say, “I’m in trouble now”. ‘I saw the knife handle on the floor with no blade, then noticed all the blood coming out of my arm, so I said, “You’re in trouble. And I’m in trouble too”.

‘I was holding onto his hoodie but he took it off, so I just held on to his T-shirt instead until the police arrived.’ Mr Phlamachha, a Gurkha with Maidstone’s 36 Engineers for 13 years before retiring last year to open an off-licence, added: ‘I’m proud to be a Gurkha and I’m a proud father. ‘I will do anything to protect myself and my family.’ Jamie Hall, 39, of Maidstone, has been charged with attempted robbery, grievous bodily harm with intent, possession of an offensive weapon and common assault. He has been remanded in prison.