Man jailed following knifepoint robbery

SUSPENDED SENTENCE IS ACTIVATED BY JUDGE

-  CARL EVE

A ROBBER who brandished a large knife at a terrified lone shop worker repeatedly said he was sorry but left her fearing every unknown customer who now enters her Whitleigh store.

Tyler Wood has been jailed after he admitted entering the Norwich Stores in Norwich Avenue, Whitleigh, on August 23 this year and demanding cash.

The middle-aged shop worker was on her own serving customers when Wood, of Warwick Avenue, entered the store. He went to the aisles while another customer and en two children went to the counter to purchase items.

The court was told Wood watched and waited for the last of the children to leave the store before he approached the counter and asked the woman if he could purchase a cheap bottle of vodka. As she turned her back, Wood went around the counter and pulled out a knife, which she later described as being a large silver knife, around 30cm in length.

He held the knife out and pointed it at the woman, telling her: "Open the f***ing till and give me the money", before adding: "I'm sorry, I'm not going to hurt you, I just want the money."

Before the victim had a chance to reply, he said: "Look, I'm sorry, this is what happens when you owe money. I need money to pay for drugs."

The woman struggled to open the till but, as she had already scanned the items, it would not open. Wood then told her: "You've got two seconds to open that till and give me the money."