CCTV footage shows the moment Lee Willson pointed a fake gun at a cashier during a robbery at the Best One shop on Blackburn Road on December 17 last year. Willson, 30, wore a skull balaclava mask as he entered the store and pointed the imitation firearm, which had a silencer, at the cashier who was sitting alone at around 11.35am.
Robbery at Blackburn shop
Willson made several demands for the victim to open the till and give him money, then said “I’ll shoot you” while appearing to cock the pistol, LancsLive reports. The cashier failed in his attempt to open the till, with Willson responding “I shoot you” and “open now” while still pointing the weapon towards him. He then grabbed a handful of cigarette packets from a drawer underneath the till before fleeing.
Willson was captured on CCTV outside the store for 10 minutes while waiting for a customer to leave before committing the robbery. On the same evening, he was spotted with another man on CCTV stealing two bottles of alcohol from Tesco on Eagle Street before getting away from security.
Court appearance and sentence
On Monday (October 26), Willson of Gratton Road, Blackpool, appeared for sentence at Preston Crown Court. He had pleaded guilty to robbery, possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and theft from a shop. He was jailed for five years and two months.
Det Con Shaun Whittaker, of Blackburn CID, said: “By choosing to use a highly realistic imitation firearm during a robbery at a shop, Lee Willson committed a dangerous and premeditated crime. His actions left a lone member of staff clearly in distress and fearful that he would be killed. I welcome the court’s decision to hand down a prison sentence, reflecting the incredibly serious nature of crimes involving firearms or replica weapons.”
