A teenager who robbed a Morrisons Daily after being told there were no yellow sticker deals has been sentenced to 28 months detention in a young offenders' institution.
William Shaw, 19, was intoxicated when he entered the shop at a petrol station at about 1.30am on September 11. Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard he became verbally abusive and repeatedly pushed the lone shopkeeper against the shelves.
Violent assault
Shaw held the worker up by his collar, grabbed him by the neck, and pushed him against fridges. He told the victim: "Do not move or I will break your jaw." The victim attempted to walk away, but Shaw followed him around the shop.
Chandan Kaur Kang, prosecuting, said: "He continued to drag, push, and shove him. He punched the man with his left hand. He picked up beer and bakery items."
"He followed the victim who was trying to call 999. He approached him by accessing the staff area behind the till. He attempted to grab the phone from him. He used his right hand and tried to grab him by the hair."
"He grabbed him by the neck and arm. He told him to open the shop front door which was locked. The man opened the store door out of fear and the defendant left."
Arrest and sentencing
The incident was captured on CCTV and played to the court, which heard the victim was left with cuts to his forehead and shin. Shaw left with a four-pack of Stella and bakery items.
An officer arrived and found Shaw outside the Black Horse next to the petrol station. He was placed in handcuffs and was slurring his words. Shaw was verbally abusive and spat at an officer, with the spit landing on his forehead and lips.
Shaw, of Endon, Staffs., pleaded guilty to robbery and resisting a police officer in the execution of his duty. In mitigation, Stuart Muldoon, defending, said the robbery was serious and aggravated by Shaw spitting on the officer. He said: "What he did was disgusting."
He said Shaw is a dad-of-two who works on the family farm and was 18 at the time of the incident. The lawyer said if Shaw was sent to custody it would impact on the family as they would have to employ someone else.
He said: "At the time he was drinking six to nine pints a day. He accepts it impacted on his relationship and his work. He is now not drinking to excess. He now goes to the pub once or twice a week chaperoned by his father."
"He will drink two pints and go home to be with family. He is genuinely remorseful. He is ashamed, embarrassed, and distraught at the video he has seen. He has no previous convictions."
"The gentleman he assaulted was new to the shop. Previously the family had been given food items that were going to be thrown away to feed animals on the farm. In his drunken state that appears what he was going to try to obtain."
"There is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation in the community. He is assessed as a low risk of re-offending. He does have very strong personal mitigation."
"He is a young man with a young family and is in employment. Immediate custody would result in significant harmful impact on others."
But Judge Richard McConaghy said the offending was so serious that only an immediate custodial sentence was appropriate. The judge said: "You were drunk. He was in there working alone. You were abusive and aggressive towards him and then you became violent. You hit him. You threw him to the floor."
"You repeatedly shoved him into shelving and fridges. At one stage you opened the door of the fridge to push him into it using the door as a weapon to bang against him. You grabbed him by the neck. You stole goods from the shop."
"When he got away from you to call for help you pursued him into the staff area, grabbed him, and tried to wrestle the phone off him. He was left with cuts to his head and shin. You spat at one of the officers."
"It was a prolonged incident. You took steps to stop him reporting the incident. Your offending is so serious that only a sentence of immediate custody is appropriate."
Shaw will serve 40% of his sentence in a young offenders' institution before he is eligible for release on licence.
