By Man jailed after armed robbery that left worker ‘petrified’
An armed robber who revealed his name to the victim of his robbery said she should call the police after he took around £100 at knifepoint.
Richard Garrison, 42, of Rutland Street, Grimsby admitted armed robbery at Matthews fish and chip shop, located on Stanley Street on April 27.
Police arrested him near the chip shop at the junction of Stanley Street and Harold Street, Grimsby, he informed police he had drunk a bottle of cider and taken heroin before committing the robbery.
Mr. Garrison told Police how he had been ‘coerced’ into committing a robbery by a gang of men, who were reportedly nearby. In a police interview, he said they had demanded he steal from a shop and drove him around the East Marsh area, looking for a target.
Prosecuting, Stephen Robinson said the Crown Prosecution Service accepted his basic of plea to the armed robbery. A female staff member said he appeared under the influence and unsteady on his feet. He said he had no money and no home.
“He said it was not something he would normally do and told the shop assistant to give him all the money from the till,” said the prosecutor. He then brandished an 8-inch blade, leaving the female staff member petrified, she handed over the money. After taking the cash, he told the staff member his name was “Richard Clark” known as one of his aliases.
He disposed of the knife in a nearby bin and police caught up with him, though he was not in possession of the cash, he told police he was being watched by a gang of men.
“He said he only went in to do it because the lads made me do it,” the prosecutor said. A victim impact statement from the fish and chip shop worker said her mental health was “like a rollercoaster .”
She said: “You always have a choice whether to do something or not. He held the knife to my face. I have a family so the only option was to hand over the money.”
She has since installed CCTV at her home due to fear of attack. The prosecution said the defendant had 24 previous convictions for 47 offences, which were reportedly mostly for burglary and theft to buy drugs.
For Garrison, Craig Lowe said his client told him “I’m too old for this now. This will be the last time I go to prison.”
He said he is remorseful and wants me to apologise to the staff member and hopes he will get a chance to apologise face-to-face, one day. He is now on a methadone programme as treatment for his drug addiction.
Recorder Alex Menary jailed Garrison for 32 months for robbery and six months for possession of a weapon, to run concurrently.
