Masked robber who threatened Hartlepool McColl's shop worker with knife is sentenced at Teesside Crown Court

Mark Sharpe, 31, got away with over £250 in cash from McColl’s in Elwick Road, after producing the blade and demanding the frightened worker open the till in February last year.

Sharpe, who was said to be at the height of a drug addiction at the time, has now been jailed for two-and-a-half years at Teesside Crown Court.

The court heard how the shop worker was behind the counter, which had a clear plastic screen, when Sharpe entered at about 7.30pm on February 26.

Jenny Haigh, prosecuting, said: “He heard the door opening, turned around and saw the defendant who had a mask covering most of his face.”

She added: “He saw that the defendant had a knife in his right hand. The knife was held with it half way through the service gap.

“The defendant told him ‘give me the money now, give me the money’.”

The shop worker opened the till and gave Sharpe £20 and £10 notes, but Sharpe said ‘all of it’ and the victim handed over the £5 notes.

He left in an unknown direction just as a customer came in.

The worker said he was frightened for himself and colleagues who were working out the back.

Sharpe was later arrested after the victim identified him from store CCTV from earlier in the day when Sharpe had been in twice.

He pleaded guilty to robbery and possession of a knife.

Stephen Constantine, defending, said in mitigation, there was no attempt to use the knife, and the offence caused “limited psychological harm” to the victim.

Mr Constantine said it was out of character with nothing of such seriousness on Sharpe’s record.

He added: “It was at the very height of a terrible addiction to drugs.

"The Mark Sharpe you see before you today is a world away from the man you saw walk into that shop over a year ago.”

Sharpe, of Alston Street, Hartlepool, was jailed for 30 months for robbery and 146 days concurrent for possession of the knife.

The judge, Recorder Aisha Wadoodi, told him: “I’m hoping you will turn over a new leaf and the courts won’t see you again.”