‘One of the longest minutes of the victim’s life’
Jail for raiders who stabbed garage worker in attempted robbery
TWO men who attempted to rob the Texaco service station in Lansdown Road, Cheltenham, last October - stabbing the lone worker there four times in the process - were jailed for six years and eight months each.
Jamie Eyre, 26, of Meadowvale, Dursley, and Russell Jacques, 22, of Alstone Lane, Cheltenham both pleaded guilty to the attempted robbery of Shaji Cherian of money on October 18 last year.
Prosecutor Janine Wood said Mr Cherian was stabbed three times in his right thigh and once in his left leg.
The storeworker, who could be seen on the CCTV played in court to be struggling with the two would be robbers, was also struck over the head with a bottle which one of the defendants took from a shelf.
Judge Ian Lawrie QC ruled that Eyre and Jacques should not be classed as ‘dangerous offenders’ who needed extended custodial sentences.
Mrs Wood said Eyre and Jacques first entered the Texaco filling station shop area at 2.45am.
The prosecutor said the shop is locked overnight, but Mr Cherian had the discretion to let customers in.
Their first visit passed uneventfully, but they returned ten minutes later having swapped jackets and with their hoods up in an attempt to disguise themselves.
From the CCTV footage, Mr Cherian could be seen approaching the door to manually let them back in.
As soon as they entered the second time Mr Cherian was grabbed and put into a headlock.
Eyre put a knife to his throat, Mrs Wood said. Jacques shouted at him to open the till and give them the money.
At this stage Eyre stabbed Mr Cherian in his right thigh, and when he resisted further, he was stabbed again this time in the left leg.
“He was stabbed twice more,” the prosecutor said. “Then hit over head with bottle by Jacques.
“The victim tried to get attention banging his head on window,” Mrs Wood said, and this was noticed by a customer who had just arrived on the forecourt.
“This brought the incident to an end,” the barrister told the judge, and Eyre and Jacques could be seen making off.
Mr Cherian was taken to hospital where he underwent surgery for his wounds, the court heard.
In a victim impact statement, Mr Cherian said: “I was in fear for my life.
“They both attacked me with knives, almost as soon as they entered the shop on the second occasion.”
Eyre had eight previous court appearances for 16 offences. Jacques had accumulated a record of 16 offences in nine previous convictions.
Representing Eyre, Sarah Jenkins said that it was not a ‘sophisticated’ attempted robbery: “They only went so far as swapping jackets and putting hoods up to disguise themselves.”
Setting out the background to Eyre’s offending she said: “At the time there was frequent excessive alcohol use, binges on illegal drugs, and no address.
“He wants to leave the area, and away from the associates that are a bad influence on him.
Matthew Harbinson, representing Jacques, said “said his client had ‘made progress’ since his release from his last prison sentence, and had formed a relationship. However when that broke down Jacques stopped taking anti-psychotic medication, lost his accommodation, and began drinking and taking drugs.
Imposing the jail term, Judge Lawrie said: “You walked in armed with weapons which you deployed, executing violence on person managing the shop.
“Once you realised he was on his own, you took advantage of it.
“That one minute would have been one of the longest minutes of the victim’s life. You both have a great deal of work to do.”
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