Arsenal defender Gabriel fights off thieves after baseball bat attack | OneFootball

In CCTV footage obtained by the Daily Mail, Arsenal defender Gabriel was shown bravely fighting off thieves in his garage who attacked him with a baseball bat.

Gabriel, along with a friend, were followed home from a night out by two masked robbers who attempted to steal his Mercedes, his cell phone, and his watch.

One of the attackers went after Gabriel with a bat but the Brazilian struck him in the face, grabbed his hat, and tussled with him before the attackers ran away.

No injuries were suffered and the DNA from the hat allowed police to identify the man, who was jailed for five years last month.

Prosecutor Martin Lewis told Harrow Crown Court: “No injuries were suffered but a great deal of shock was caused. They happened to pick on two victims who were very fit and able to look after themselves.”

Judge Anupama Thompson also had plenty of words for his attackers: “While you didn’t specifically target the victim on account of him being a well-known footballer, there was a realisation this person was wealthy and worthy of robbing.

“You saw a nice car and a nice house and thought it was rich pickings. Fortunately, thanks to the brave actions of the people you targeted, no further damage was done.”

Gabriel, who arrived from Lille last summer in a £27m move, has gone the full 90 minutes in Arsenal’s last 10 Premier League matches since returning from a knee injury that kept him out of the Tokyo Olympics.