KNIFEMAN JAILED FOR TERRIFYING RAID ON STORE
Victim’s ordeal after knifeman robbed him in his shop
DRUGGED-UP Carl Poole robbed a shopkeeper at knife-point – before fleeing with 20 cigarettes and a lighter.
The 34-year-old had been smoking monkey dust for days when he went to Ford Green Stores, in Smallthorne, grabbed the goods, and pulled out the weapon.
He was arrested later that night after being chased by police officers. Now Poole has been jailed for 45 months at Stoke-on-trent Crown Court.
The Ford Green Road robbery happened at 9.50pm on January 20.
Prosecutor Rachel Pennington said: “The shopkeeper noticed he was acting shiftily. He asked for 20 Sovereign Blue cigarettes and a disposable lighter worth £10.59.
“He requested the money but the defendant reached over the counter and grabbed the items.
“The shop manager stood in front of the defendant who held up his right hand and said, ‘I would not, I would not’.
“The manager saw the defendant was holding a knife in his right hand.
“The defendant left the shop. The manager ran to the door, closed the shutters, and called the police. The incident was captured on CCTV.”
Poole was arrested in Barks Drive, Norton, at 11.10pm. He still had the cigarettes and the lighter with him.
Poole told police he could not remember anything because he had been ‘smoking **** loads of monkey dust for days and had lost his head’.
In a statement, the shop manager said: “I saw the knife and was nervous and scared about what was about to happen. It will remain with me for the rest of my life.”
Poole, of Glendale Street, Burslem, pleaded guilty to robbery and possessing a knife in public.
Stuart Muldoon, mitigating, said Poole has not been clean from substance abuse for five years following the death of his mum.
He said: “He accepts that, for a significant period, he was drinking what he could and taking drugs.
“He accepts he was under the influence of monkey dust when this happened. His is adamant this is going to be his last period of custody.”
It is the second time that Poole has been caught carrying a knife.
Judge Paul Glenn said: “You are said to regret the offences and I accept you are remorseful.
“The fact that you were under the influence of a psycho-active substance and alcohol aggravates your position.
“You had returned to drug use and stopped taking your medication. That was your decision. You can’t blame anyone else for that.”