GOING STRAIGHT... BACK TO PRISON
Armed robber resumes life of crime to pay for headstone
ARMED robber Craig McDonald brought terror to shop staff in a spate of attacks – to pay off debts for a headstone.
Threatening to squirt a petrol station worker with ammonia and brandishing a hammer in a supermarket, the 36-year-old left a trail of fear.
A court heard money owed for a headstone for the mother of his son led the crook to return to his life of crime after promising to go straight.
As well as the two armed robberies, McDonald also burgled two homes in Newcastle in his desperate search for cash.
Now he has been jailed for nineand-a-half years at Newcastle Crown Court after admitting the series of offences.
The first robbery was at the Gulf petrol station, in Chapel House, Newcastle, on December 28 last year.
Prosecutor Mark Giuliani said McDonald pretended to be buying low value items before producing “ammonia disguised as lighter fuel”.
He said: “The defendant said, ‘I will squirt you with ammonia if you don’t do what I say from now on.’
“He helped himself to a large amount of cigarettes behind the counter. He was saying, ‘open the till, open the till.’
“The shop worker tried to lock him in and the defendant said, ‘get out of the way, get out of the way.’
“He again threatened him with ammonia then ran off.”
He got away with cigarettes worth £754.
The victim said: “I’m annoyed with myself, I think I could have stopped him but I was unable to.”
On February 23 McDonald struck again, this time at Sainsburys on Chapel House Drive, Chapel House.
After going to the counter, seemingly to buy something, he produced a hammer when staff opened the till.
Mr Giuliani said he brought the weapon down close to the terrified woman’s hand. She suffered a graze to her thumb from the till and bruising to her right hand.
The woman said: “Every time I think about it I feel sick to the pit of my stomach. It makes me feel anxious and I have tears in my eyes when I think about it.”
Another woman tried to intervene to stop the attack by hitting him with her handbag.
A female shift manager who was present at the time added: “This has had a massive effect on my life, I’ve not been able to return to work or leave the house because of the anxiety I’m feeling.”
McDonald was arrested but then bailed by police.
He went on to break into a family home on June 16, along with an accomplice, stealing cash, jewellery and personal belongings.
He was arrested for that a day later but was bailed yet again, only to strike again on June 25, as he broke into another home on the West Road, in Newcastle.
A mother returned to find McDonald in her home and he tried to stop her getting in.
Mr Giuliani said: “When she came back she could see the defendant in the front dining room, wearing a
black hat and blue jacket.
“She tried to get into her own home, only to find he had barred her entry by placing a chest of drawers in front of the door.
“However, perhaps with some bravery, knowing there was a man in her house, she pushed it out of the way and got in.”
He had packed belongings into bags, tried to flee but a police officer saw him jumping over a fence.
McDonald, who has 151 previous convictions, pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery, two of having an offensive weapon and two of burglary.
Judge Deborah Sherwin told him: “What led to you offending again was this. The mother of your son died while you were serving a custodial sentence imposed on you in 2012.
“It was your desire to be able to put a tombstone on her grave and you borrowed money to do this.
“The person you borrowed the money from then got a custodial sentence.
“In mid 2016 he was released and he came to you wanting the money.
“You were unable to repay it and I’m told it’s that that led to this spree of offending.”
Michael Hodson, mitigating, said: “His family say when he is not under the influence of drugs he is a decent father and a loving son and a good companion and partner.”