Hurricane Higgins’ son, 31 jailed for raid on newsagent

THE son of Alex ‘Hurricane’ Higgins was jailed for 18 months yesterday for a dawn raid on a newsagents.

Jordan Higgins, 31, was high on drink and drugs when he burst into the store and grabbed the shopkeeper by the throat, before stealing £1,500 worth of cigarettes.

He was caught after police found his DNA on the airbag of a getaway car, which inflated after the vehicle was crashed.

Yesterday his mother, Lynn, the late snooker star’s wife, and sister Lauren wept as they heard how Higgins, pictured, had struggled to cope in the shadow of his father, the World Snooker Champion.

Minshull Street Crown Court heard how Higgins robbed the shop near his home in Cheadle, Greater Manchester, with an unidentified masked accomplice on January 5, grabbing shopkeeper Steven Gee and dragging him behind the counter before stuffing a duvet with cigarettes.

Estelle Parkhouse, defending, revealed the jobless 31-year-old, who has a string of previous convictions, had been exposed to drink and drugs at a young age and was admitted to rehab aged just 14.

But when sentencing Higgins, who admitted robbery, Judge John Potter said his ‘difficult upbringing’ was no excuse for his crimes.

After the case Mr Gee, 51, said he felt sorry for Higgins, whose father, a heavy smoker, died aged 61 in 2010 from throat cancer.

He said: ‘Unfortunately, the way his dad’s life panned out could have affected this young man.’

Known as the ‘People’s Champion’, Alex Higgins’ career subsequently crumbled as he struggled with drinking, gambling and drugs.