NIGHTMARE AT 6.15AM
Staff feared they would never see their families again as savage raiders struck at shop
ARMED and dangerous, two masked robbers left shop workers terrified in a gunpoint raid.
Two women had just opened the One Stop shop in North Shields when drug-hungry Lee Stephenson and Craig Watson burst in demanding cash.
Stephenson pointed a handgun at one member of staff, who was left fearing she would never see her children again, a court heard.
The dumb robbers missed out on more than £3,500 which they failed to spot during the raid.
But the victims were left severely traumatised and one of them branded Stephenson “the a ******* with the gun” in a statement.
Jailing the pair for a total of more than 20 years, Recorder William Lowe QC, at Newcastle Crown Court, told them: “This attack on these two women in this shop is inexcusable, it’s a serious attack and the consequences are horrific.
“This is doubtless an incident neither of them will be able to forget. They felt, at the time, in extreme danger and they were because you, Stephenson, had a firearm, albeit it could have been an imitation firearm.
“Understandably, they feared for their lives and whether they would every see their families again.
“These people were vulnerable, opening up the shop as they were at this early hour and this is further aggravated by the location of the offence as this is a shop, serving the public.
“It’s quite clear this was fuelled by your addiction to cocaine and a desire, no doubt, to obtain funds to get access to further drugs.”
The court heard two female staff were opening up the One Stop, on Kirton Park Terrace, North Shields, early on July 13.
Around 6.15am Stephenson and Watson entered the store, wearing ski masks and carrying a rucksack.
Watson approached one of the women with a crowbar in his hand and demanded cash.
Stephenson shouted: “Open the till or I will shoot you”, the court heard.
The worker screamed and her colleague came to see what was going on, when she was met by Stephenson, who pushed her back to the office.
David Crook, prosecuting, said: “He was brandishing a small black handgun and said ‘open the safe or I will shoot you.’”
He added: “There was £160 in the till tray and £200 of coupons. In his frenzy to leave, he missed £3,600 cash which was left behind.” The first victim was told by Stephenson: “If you don’t shut up I will shoot you”.
The raiders fled on bikes but police chased them to nearby allotments, where Watson was detained after a violent struggle. The store manager said in a victim statement: “I felt physically sick and just wanted to cry. I can’t believe they have made me feel like this and I couldn’t imagine it would happen in my store.
“I would like to know from that a ******* with the gun, was it worth it for your fix?”
I felt physically sick and just wanted to cry...I was scared I would not be able to see my family again Victim’s statement
The woman said she had been referred for counselling and said the attack has had a “profound effect on her mental wellbeing”.
She added: “I was scared I would not be able to see my family again.”
Her colleague added: “I didn’t expect to be put through this kind of horrendous, terrifying ordeal.
“I honestly believed they were going to hurt me. I have got two daughters I thought I would never see again.
“In my opinion they are two dangerous people who obviously think they have a right to threaten and have weapons.
“When one of them shouted he would shoot me he had his arm raised with the gun in his hand, pointed at me.”
Stephenson, 39, of Locksley Close, New York, North Shields, was convicted after a trial of robbery and attempted robbery at the One Stop.
Watson, 34, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to those two charges and a burglary at Whitley Antiques, during which he smashed a window and grabbed jewellery. He also admitted theft from a car.
Stephenson, who has previous convictions for attempted robberies and GBH with intent, was jailed for 12 years.
Watson, who has previous conviction for a knifepoint shop robbery, was locked up for nine years.
Nick Peacock, for Stephenson, said: “Bearing in mind he was convicted after trial, there is not a lot I can say.”
Jamie Adams, for Watson, said he denied knowledge of a gun being used and said he’d had drink and drugs issues and mental health problems.
He added: “There is still some potential with him to do good.
“He was not uttering threats with a gun or about a gun.”