'Great support' for shot jeweller

Darren Prior gave evidence during the robbery trial

A jeweller who survived being shot by an armed robber when the bullet hit his mobile phone has thanked the people who helped him through the experience.

Darren Prior, 25, chased Sean Henry, 35, through Horsham, West Sussex, after he stole diamond rings worth £50,000.

Mr Prior said he received "great support from the community and from a lot of customers" after the armed raid.

Henry, of Wallington, south London, was convicted of attempted murder, robbery and possessing a firearm on Thursday.

Diamond rings

Mr Prior, who manages the Amore Jewellers store, said it was a "fairly normal Thursday afternoon" when the drama unfolded in September 2005.

"We were just starting to pack up, I was the only one on the shop floor, and that was when he came in," he said.

"He pulled out the gun, pointed it at me and told me to open one of the cabinets.

"He put the diamond rings into a bag, pushed past me out of the shop and it was then that I chased him."

Timothy Cole (left) drove a getaway car for Sean Henry (right)

Henry fired one shot behind him as Mr Prior gave chase, before turning to face his pursuer in an enclosed alleyway.

Mr Prior was saved from injury when the bullet fired at him ricocheted off a mobile phone in his suit jacket pocket.

A judge at Hove Crown Court recommended Mr Prior for a bravery award.

"You would never actually decide to chase an armed robber, it was an instant reaction at the time," the shop manager said.

Mr Prior added: "It was very strange coming back in for the first time [after the robbery] but I received a lot of cards and letters, so the amount of support showed it was the right thing to do."

Henry is due to be sentenced on 28 June alongside his getaway driver, Timothy Cole, 30, of Squirrel Close, Langley Green, Crawley, West Sussex, who was also found guilty of robbery.