A shop assistant was left traumatised after she was robbed at knifepoint by two men who had covered their faces with scarves.
Leeds Crown Court heard Teresa Briggs was at the counter alone in the One Stop shop in Fernside Avenue, Almondbury while a colleague was having his break on the evening of January 24.
Ian Brook prosecuting said Aaron Bonner and another unidentified man went in around 8.40pm and the other man jumped the counter after producing a knife.
Miss Briggs was grabbed and pushed and pulled around suffering a blow to her head. The raider held the knife close to her and threatened to stab her if the till was not opened in three seconds.
Bonner, who was holding a bottle he had stolen, told the knifeman to make sure she opened the till.
The court heard the assistant was terrified. One man then grabbed £545 from the till while Camelot scratchcards were also snatched before they both fled.
Mr Briggs said Bonner was traced because the next day a female tried to use some of the cards which had been notified as stolen. That raised the alert and when CCTV was viewed it was revealed as Bonner’s girlfriend.
A knife was also found on the top of the television at his home close to that described by the victim. He did not comment at interview.
Miss Briggs described in a victim personal statement how she had suffered flashbacks of the incident and found it difficult to return to working night shifts.
Michael Sisson-Pell, representing Bonner, said he had lost his employment and benefits had not come through when he and the other man were walking past the shop and decided to go in for some money.
He had been shocked when the other man produced the knife and then made his second big “major error” of the night by going to assist rather than leaving.
Although he had grabbed a bottle of brandy it was to steal not to threaten. “He is bitterly ashamed and feels for the complainant and what she suffered.”
Bonner, 36 of Walpole Road, Crosland Moor, admitted robbery and was jailed for three years eight months.
Judge Peter Hunt said courts had to protect people staffing small shops.
While accepting Bonner was not the man with the knife and was the less violent of the two, he had aided his accomplice causing the victim “emotional and psychological” trauma.
