Birthday beer run takes a dramatic turn as Perth tradie tackles alleged thief after a handbrake fail stalls his escape

Published: 04:20, 15 July 2026 | Updated: 04:20, 15 July 2026 A tradie has thwarted an alleged thief's getaway by wrestling him to the ground after the suspect failed to release the handbrake while fleeing in an allegedly stolen car. Adam Breen, 28, was at a Dan Murphy's store in Carine, in Perth's northern suburbs, for a birthday drinks run on Saturday when an alleged thief stole six bottles of spirits. The accused then allegedly tried to escape in a grey Mazda that had reportedly been stolen earlier that day. Mr Breen filmed the car crawling out of the store's parking lot, leaving a trail of skid marks as it struggled over a speed hump. 'You are joking me ... you are taking the piss. This is gold,' the plumber is heard saying.  The vehicle, which had no number plates or left-side mirror and sported a battered bumper, then came to a halt in the right lane of Beach Road. The driver, who was wearing a yellow shirt, exited the car as Mr Breen could be heard shouting: 'I reckon you're pretty good at running.' '[He] obviously had the handbrake on and he drove across the street before jumping out and trying to break into more cars,' Mr Breen said in a second video. 'There were kids over there, so I went and grabbed him and took him down.' Tradie Adam Breen has thwarted an alleged thief's getaway by wrestling him to the ground in a headlock after the suspect apparently failed to release the handbrake while fleeing in a vehicle Mr Breen, who has trained in Muay Thai, said he managed to detain the alleged thief despite suffering from a black eye  Mr Breen was buying drinks at Dan Murphy's when an alleged thief stole six bottles of spirits before attempting to flee in a Mazda 'He made it to a park ... kids and families were playing footy,' Mr Breen told news.com.au.  'I run around the park three times a week ... I know it like the back of my hand. I started chasing him, I should have started my Garmin watch.' Mr Breen, who has trained in Muay Thai, said he performed a citizen's arrest before police arrived and suffered a black eye during the scuffle.  He claimed the driver swung at him and said he managed to pick the accused up and 'dunk' him.  'As I've gone to grab his neck again, he's just belted me, and the cherry on top was that he s**t himself, he soiled his pants,' he told 7News following the incident. Mr Breen managed to take a photo while restraining the man, which he later shared on Instagram.  The owner of the Mazda has since contacted Mr Breen and offered to buy him a drink. He also said Dan Murphy's gave him a free six-pack of beer.  Australians on social media praised the plumber for his actions, with one user calling him 'the f***ing man, proper bad man'.  Another commenter said: 'You look like you just caught the biggest fish.' 'Australian of the Year,' a third person said.  The Daily Mail has contacted Mr Breen and WA Police for comment.