A takeaway worker was left terrified when a robber held her up at knifepoint for the sake of £25. Steven Wardle was in debt when he crawled under a countertop and pointed a knife at the woman while demanding she open the till.
Raid on Northumberland Road
Newcastle Crown Court heard the victim was working in a shop on Northumberland Road, in Newcastle, around 11.55am on May 10. When Wardle initially went in, she asked if he wanted a drink and he mumbled something and left.
He then returned and crawled under the counter before standing up and producing a knife, which he pointed at her and told her to open the till. She went to call her manager but he prevented her from doing so by pointing the knife at her and telling her to put the phone down.
Stole £25 and dropped knife
Wardle, 45, of Chestnut Avenue, Cowgate, Newcastle, then stole money from the till, dropped the knife and crawled back under the counter. He had taken three £5 notes and £10 in coins.
Police officers who had dealt with him previous identified him from CCTV. He was later arrested for something else and was wearing the same clothes as he had been during the robbery. He said he was not going to answer police questions because he couldn't be bothered.
Victim impact and sentencing
In a victim impact statement, the woman said she felt very intimidated and feared for her safety during the incident.
Wardle, who has 78 previous convictions, including two for robberies, pleaded guilty to robbery and was jailed for 50 months. The court heard he is assessed as posing a high risk.
Recorder Mark Giuliani told him: "When you were in debt you voluntarily armed yourself with a weapon and went in to a shop to rob the shop and steal money from the cash register. Shop assistants in shops are vulnerable."
Ian Hudson, defending, said he didn't verbally threaten the victim and is remorseful. He added that the offence has "opened his eyes" to him needing to get away from "peers with a criminal lifestyle".
