THE drug addict son of two retired headteachers has been jailed for five years after he carried out armed raids on the same branch of a Brighouse bank.

Desperate heroin addict John Rhind was wearing a home-made balaclava and carrying a knife when he went into the Bradford and Bingley branch in Commercial Street six months ago and demanded money from a terrified female cashier.

Bradford Crown Court heard yesterdaythat the 35-year-old, who had no previous convictions or cautions, had even brought his own doorstop which had used to keep the bank door open as he carried out the late-morning robbery.

On that occasion in April, Rhind escaped with just over £3,600, but last month he returned to the same bank premises and fled with £3,400 after brandishing a small axe.

Prosecutor Bashir Ahmed described how Rhind approached a male cashier telling him to hand over the money quickly or he would chop his head off.

The court heard that the female cashier who was robbed in April had been in the branch again when the second raid happened.

Before making his escape again Rhind mistakenly removed his mask and he was arrested by police a few hours later after he was recognised from descriptions circulated about of the robber.

When his home in Henry Street, Brighouse, was searched police found a large quantity of money covered in purple dye, a woollen hat and an axe.

Rhind confessed to the police, blaming his heavy heroin addiction for the offences.

Rhind pleaded guilty to two offences of robbery last month and yesterday his lawyer Kieron Green said he was genuinely remorseful for the offences.

“He realises the fear that he caused and he has a full understanding that what he did was wrong and he is seeking to apologise for the trauma he has caused the victims,” said Mr Green.

“This is a cautionary tale of a young man who has a very good record, but managed to hide from his mother that he had a serious drug problem.

“He lost his employment and was unable to fund his ever-increasing drug habit.”

Judge Jonathan Rose told Rhind that his first entry into criminality had been at the top of the scale.

“Men and women who work in building societies nowadays do so without the protection of glass screens,” noted Judge Rose.

“There are made open plan to be more inviting and more customer friendly but the other side of that attempt to be customer friendly is that they are then vulnerable and exposed to men like you.

“One of the features that stands out in this case is the terror that you instilled in the employees of the building society when you went in masked, as you were, and armed, as you were.”

Judge Rose said the offences were aggravated by the significant degree of preparation involved including the making of a mask and the carrying of weapons.

Rhind pleaded guilty on the basis that he had no intention of using the weapons, but Judge Rose said the terrified staff were not to know that.

After the case, Det Insp Tony Nicholson of Calderdale CID, said: “Rhind was not previously known to officers but committed two violent robberies causing untold shock and fear to staff in the bank.

“Despite knowing he was armed with an axe, Pcs Craig Pearson and Toby Facey bravely arrested him and helped bring him to justice.”