Chicken shop customer pulls fake gun on staff after being given wrong sauce

Fintan Starkey
Tue, 07 Apr 2026 21:51:45 +0000

An 18-year-old man received a three-year prison sentence at Woolwich Crown Court on Tuesday after threatening a chicken shop employee with an imitation firearm after he was given the wrong sauce.

Marwan Khadir launched the armed assault at a south London takeaway on Christmas Eve 2025, becoming enraged when his order contained the wrong number of garlic sauce dips.

The Metropolitan Police released CCTV footage capturing the terrifying incident, which showed Khadir brandishing a realistic replica weapon at the worker.

During the attack, which continued for more than two minutes, he physically assaulted the victim on multiple occasions while threatening to shoot and kill him.

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Security camera footage showed Khadir placing an order for three chicken legs, chips and a drink at approximately 9pm on December 24, 2025, requesting garlic and mayonnaise dips.

Upon returning to his nearby flat, he was filmed searching through the food bag and tallying the sauce portions before pacing while making a phone call.

Khadir stormed back to the establishment, shouting at staff: "I asked for three garlics and three mayos!"

He demanded entry, vaulted over the counter, and cocked the weapon before seizing the employee's wrist and pressing the gun against his head.

"I'm going to kill you now, are you mad?" he declared.

The victim came forward to report the assault on Christmas Day, with officers subsequently launching an intensive investigation.

Police tracked Khadir using a combination of CCTV analysis, financial records and door-to-door enquiries conducted between Christmas and New Year.

Detectives also undertook extensive telephone investigations to pinpoint his address, coordinating with firearms command to secure arrest warrants.

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Officers detained Khadir on January 2, recovering the replica firearm, imitation ammunition and clothing matching that captured on security footage.

He appeared at Woolwich Crown Court on January 30, where he admitted possessing an imitation gun with intent to cause fear of violence, making threats to kill and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Detective Seargent Amy Cross, who headed the investigation, said: "The tireless work by officers on this case over the Christmas and New Year period is further evidence that policing never stops, and their efforts ultimately led to a conviction.

"All our thoughts continue to remain with the victim of this terrifying ordeal, something no one should ever have to go through, let alone at their place of work. The strength he has shown since the attack has been remarkable."

She praised the worker's bravery in reporting the incident and identifying his attacker.

The sentencing coincides with Scotland Yard's ongoing campaign against real and imitation firearms, with 676 weapons removed from London's streets during the past year.