A convicted killer threatened to kill bar workers during a terrifying robbery before fleeing with an empty till. Thomas Brand, who has convictions for conspiracy to murder and manslaughter on his lengthy criminal record, smashed and brandished a pint glass to reinforce his warnings that he would stab and kill staff.
Despite his threats, brave workers refused to open the till for him, despite knowing it was in fact empty as the manager had been counting the night's takings in an office. Balaclava-clad Brand, 52, ended up making off with the unopened till, unaware his criminal enterprise was going to end in disappointment.
Robbery at The William Jameson pub
Newcastle Crown Court heard it was on the night of April 7 this year that Brand went to The William Jameson pub, in Sunderland, with a balaclava over the bottom half of his face. He went to where the till was and told a female member of staff to open it.
She told him she didn't have access and would have to get her manager. The woman got the attention of the manager without making Brand aware he was counting the money and he refused to open the till for the robber. He told the woman to call the police and Brand said: "I don't give a f*** about the police".
Brand then said to the man: "I will f****** kill you". He picked up a Stella glass and smashed it off the bar counter and said he would kill them.
Court details and sentencing
Neil Pallister, prosecuting, said: "(The manager) said he feared for his life. The glass was sharp and he kept making threats to kill him. He also heard the defendant say 'I will stab you'."
Brand forceably pulled the till from where it was and walked out with it, still unaware it was empty. As a result of a 999 call made by the woman, police quickly found him but he ran off. He was then found hiding face down in a bush, although the till was never found.
In a victim impact statement, the woman said: "This incident was terrifying. When he smashed the glass I honestly thought he was going to hurt us. It's getting increasingly scary knowing we can't do anything and they get away with it."
Previous convictions and sentence
Brand, formerly of Newcastle but latterly of Hampden Road, Sunderland, has 163 previous convictions, including for conspiracy to murder in 2003, for which he was jailed for 12 years. He was also jailed for six years in 2019 for a one-punch manslaughter in Newcastle. His other convictions over the years include arson, robbery and a burglary which he carried out last year.
He pleaded guilt to robbery and for that and being in breach of a suspended sentence for the burglary last year, he was jailed for four years and four months.
Chris Knox, defending, said Brand "has been shot a couple of times" and said the robbery was a "most inept effort", with "customers in the bar seeming to have taken it with considerable calm". He added: "He's got a dreadful record but, by and large, not for this."
