A hapless Perth thief came off second best when he was tackled during a robbery by the powerlifting bodybuilder who lived in the house.
Drug addict Alan Brown proved to be no match for musclebound have-a-go householder Damien Harrier when he was caught red-handed.
Brave Mr Harrier chased down the knife-wielding thief and disarmed him before punching him so hard that he may need to have plastic surgery.
Mr Harrier said: “I was making sure the house was shut down before going to bed when I heard a bang in my garage. I went to check it out and found this guy standing inside with a knife.
“He was really aggressive and told me he had hepatitis C and it was his blood on the blade. I asked him to calm down but he charged at me.
“Fight or flight kicked in and I grabbed him. He ran away but my neighbour is elderly and he was trying to jump over his fence.
“I punched him a couple of times. I managed to disarm him and call the police. He eventually calmed down and said he wanted to make sure he didn’t get any blood on me.”
Terrified Brown was then forced to turn out his pockets and hand back the items he had stolen during raids at Mr Harrier’s home and at his next-door neighbour’s.
Brown was marched through ex-rugby player Mr Harrier’s home by the scruff of the neck before being forced to pose for a mugshot which was then posted on Facebook.
He was identified by several people on social media who knew him as “Scotland’s lowest crook” due to his previous crime sprees.
By the time he was arrested, he was sporting a black eye which was a result of him meeting Mr Harrier’s summary justice.
Brown, 38, from Perth, was jailed for 18 months after he admitted having a knife at an address in Balhousie Street, Perth, on May 2 this year.
He also admitted breaking into two properties on the street and stealing items including war memorabilia, medals, jewellery, a razor and golf shoe bag.
