Two knife-wielding robbers who targeted a town centre petrol station and left shop assistants ‘shocked and scared’ have been jailed.
Jordan Haworth, of Shap Close, Baxenden, and his accomplice Lewis Banham entered the Shell garage on Burnley Road in Rawtenstall wearing tights over their faces and demanded cash.
During the incident a shop worker was punched in the face and had a knife held to his neck ‘near the artery’.
Haworth, who has six convictions for 13 offences, and Banham, who has 14 convictions for 28 offences, both pleaded guilty to robbery and possessing an offensive weapon.
They were both jailed for four years at Burnley Crown Court.
Lisa Worsley, prosecuting, told the court how the incident happened at around 10pm on December 22 last year when store assistant Kane Finley was working alone in the station shop.
The court was told how, as he was monitoring the car park on CCTV, two men approached the shop taking a ‘couple of steps before breaking into a run’ and putting ‘what he thought to be hoods over their faces’.
Mr Finley managed to hit the panic button before Banham jumped over the counter holding a three or four inch ‘flick knife’.
Both men then shouted ‘give me the ******* money’ and when he hesitated Haworth punched him in the face before Banham again shouted ‘open the till and give me the ******* money’.
The court heard how Mr Finley was ‘very scared’ as the knife was pointed ‘towards his neck in the region of his artery’
Banham told him ‘don’t worry, I’m not going to hurt you or stab you’ before Mr Finley handed him between £60 and £100 cash.
The court heard how, shortly before the incident, Mr Finley had done a ‘note drop’ meaning there was ‘relatively little’ cash handed over.
Banham started to ‘stamp’ on the note drop box and when it didn’t open both fled the shop, the court heard.
Miss Worsley told the court how store supervisor Susan Walker fled the store to get help while while fellow shop worker Catherine Law, who was working in the back, saw Mr Finley being threatened.
In a victim impact statement she said she was ‘shocked by what she saw and it will make her nervous when working on the till alone’.
Miss Worsley said CCTV was seized from the shop and a GPS tag worn by Banham, 21, was found close to the garage.
When officers visited his home address they found clothes matching those worn by him during the robbery.
The court heard how Haworth, 21, turned up at his flat and was wearing the same clothing from the incident.
Miss Worsley said there was a ‘band on his underpants’ which was ‘clearly identifiable from the CCTV’.
Haworth also had in his pockets a pair of tights which were cut so he could wear them as a face mask.
Kristian Cavanagh, defending Banham, of Queen Street, Rawtenstall, said there was ‘little lack of clear of thinking’ and he had no previous convictions for robbery.
He said: “He hasn’t thought through the consequences of it.
“It is unsophisticated to the extent they have only taken one pair of gloves between them and worn one glove each.
“He has been in prison now effectively since he was 19 years old. He had only been out of prison for a number of days when he committed this offence.”
Huw Edwards, defending Haworth told how he had served previous custodial sentences and aimed to ‘undergo a non-criminal lifestyle’.
He said: “He felt there was a lack of support for him in the community and fell back into the wrong crowds and wrong ways.
“He wants to go into the army or Foreign Legion, anything to instil routine and support in his life’.
“He regrets his actions. He owed significant money and was asked to commit this robbery to deal with that.”
Recorder Michael Blakey said it was a ‘nasty offence’.
He said: “The most chilling aspect was you had a knife with you that was used in a threatening manner.
“Thankfully it wasn’t used to injure anyone.”
