A man has been jailed for 18 months after he tried to rob a Huddersfield shopkeeper at knifepoint.
Leeds Crown Court heard Gary Hamilton went into the Fairprice convenience shop in Newsome Road around 7.45am on July 4.
Azhar Iqbal was filling up a fridge with a fresh supply of milk when his attention was drawn to Hamilton because he was acting suspiciously as though waiting for other customers to leave.
When they did, he went up to the counter and told Mr Iqbal: “I want to make this as simple as possible, just give me all your money.”
Bashir Ahmed prosecuting said at the same time Hamilton pulled a kitchen knife with an eight-inch blade from inside his top.
Mr Iqbal said he was shocked and felt threatened but told the would-be robber he had only just opened and did not have anything in the till yet.
Hamilton insisted he open the till and give him any coins or notes inside. Mr Iqbal reached under the counter for a bag to put the money in and realised there was a small bat there which he grabbed and raised it telling Hamilton to get out of the shop.
Mr Ahmed said that was exactly what Hamilton did, he fled but as he left the area he spoke to another man who asked him what he had been doing and he said: “I wanted to rob the shop because I have no money, no food, no cigarettes.”
Nick Adlington for Hamilton said he had learning difficulties having attended a special school when young and he had not appreciated the impact on the shopkeeper of producing a knife or the seriousness of what he was doing.
“He is a very vulnerable, pathetic individual.” He had been having financial difficulties and “took an extreme and stupid course” to try and solve them. He had learnt a salutary lesson from his actions.
Hamilton 25, of Ing Lane, Newsome, admitted attempted robbery and possessing a bladed article.
Jailing him for 18 months, Recorder Anton Lodge QC said it was a serious crime and very frightening for the shopkeeper who was providing a valuable service to his community.
