Man jailed for knifepoint robbery at McColl's store

Jones 'felt he was invisible'

Wayne Jones - who felt he was invisible - still made off with the £10 he had stolen from the till at Whittakers uniform store in Bridge Street, St Helens but not before two women who saw him photographed him.

Liverpool Crown Court heard on Tuesday (March 7) that he had broken in by smashing a hole in the front door and placed a plastic bag over the hole to prevent injury.

On the afternoon of the same day, January 29 this year, still under the influence of drink or drugs, he went into the Greggs bakery shop in Higher Parr Street, Fingerpost, and stole sandwiches and a charity box.

Knifepoint robbery

He walked off and less than two hours later, at 5.15 pm, he went into McColls store, also on Higher Parr Street. “He had been there earlier in the day and was told he was barred,” said Derek Jones, prosecuting.

“He went into the shop and was smoking and was told he could not smoke in the shop. He approached a woman assistant at the till and she described him as a foot away from her when he opened his coat and she saw a kitchen knife in his hand.

“She immediately started backing away from him and he said ‘get the money out of the till’.”

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She gave him £120 from the till and her colleague realised what was happening and called the police.

Jones, 29, left but was arrested about 9 pm and was “staggering and slurring his words. He was wearing the same clothes as present in CCTV footage from the shop.”

He admitted the burglary and theft but denied robbery but was picked out on an identity parade by the store staff.

Jones was jailed at Liverpool Crown Court (Image: Stock)

In an impact statement the assistant who had handed over the cash said she had worked in retail for 17 years and nothing like that had happened before, said Mr Jones.

She said that immediately afterwards she was “shaking and crying uncontrollably and had nightmares for about two weeks. She was signed off work for two weeks and when she returned she had a feeling of fear and uneasiness. 

Mr Jones said that stated she had managed to keep working but no longer feels as safe as she used to and is wary of people.

Jail sentence passed

Jones, of Furness Avenue, Windlehurst, pleaded guilty to robbery, possessing a bladed article, burglary and theft.

Jailing the defendant, who has 41 previous convictions for 67 offences, Judge David Potter said that while it was his first robbery offence it was not his first for possessing a bladed article.

“I accept you have suffered mental health problems exacerbated as a result of substantial substance misuse. I also accept in January you were in a desperate state and at a particularly low ebb.

“Until you take steps to address you substance misuse the risk of you committing further offences is significant.”

He jailed Jones, who appeared via video link from prison, for four years four months.

Ian Morris, defending, had told the court that Jones had had “unfortunate circumstances in his upbringing. It is hardly surprising in those circumstances that he is a man who has been troubled with mental health issues over a number of years.

“He has low self-esteem as a consequence of what happened to him as a young man. He is not unique in seeking to cope with such problems with drugs. They have not assisted  him.”

He said he had been sleeping in the foyer of Asda for safety and shelter as assaults on the homeless were prevalent in the area.

Mr Morris said that the charity box he stole from Greggs only had 18 pence in it 

After crawling out of the uniform shop he made no attempt to disguise himself. “It was though he felt he was invisible, maybe due to the amount of drugs he had taken on that particular date.

“This was the sheer depth he had sunk to in neglecting his own condition . He looked in such a bad state at the time of his arrest that the arresting officer said that if he had been allowed to continue with this type of behaviour and lack of self-care he would not be long for this earth.”

Mr Morris added: “He was at his wits end but his physical condition is now markedly different from only five weeks ago.”

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