Machete-Wielding Robber Tasered in McDonald's, Jailed for 13 Years

A 19-year-old robber wielding a three-foot-long machete was Tasered by police in a crowded McDonald's before being jailed for 13 years.

Police bodycam footage showed Theo Gottshalk, now 20, attempting to flee officers who were mid-arrest. He ran through the McDonald's in Clumber Street, Nottingham, while carrying the large bladed weapon. An officer deployed a Taser, causing the machete to fall from his trousers.

Gottshalk had threatened to "chop" a teenager's arm unless he handed over his phone during a robbery on September 9 last year. He fled with the victim's phone, bracelet, and chain. The weapon used in the robbery matched the description of the machete found on Gottshalk.

Following a manhunt, Gottshalk was identified on a bus six weeks later and approached by officers. He violently resisted arrest inside the McDonald's before being subdued by the Taser. Police also found several bags of cannabis with intent to supply in his possession.

In addition to the machete incident, Gottshalk admitted to two further robberies in Birmingham and possessing a converted blank-firing pistol in November 2023. He was found guilty of robbery, possessing a knife in public, and possession of cannabis with intent to supply.

Last Friday, Gottshalk was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court to 13 years as part of an extended custodial sentence. Detective Constable Ben Grayson of Nottinghamshire Police stated that Gottshalk was a "callous and violent criminal" who posed a danger to the public.