Jail for knife-point robber who targeted convenience shop twice in three days

A knife-point robber who targeted a convenience store twice in three days has been jailed.

John Anthony Cooper, who targeted Boscombe Convenience Store in Christchurch Road last month with a kitchen knife, has been jailed, Yahoo News reported. Cooper has been sentenced for four-and-a-half years at Bournemouth Crown Court on October 21, having previously pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery and two counts of possession of a bladed article.

The court heard in the first incident on September 11 the 54-year-old defendant was holding the knife so it was pointing it towards the complainant’s face. In the second robbery, committed on September 13, there was no such threatening gesture when the blade was produced.

Prosecutor told the court the shopkeeper told police he did not feel afraid during the incident. The court was told Cooper, of Aylesbury Road, Boscombe, was heavily under the influence of alcohol and that was the reason for the offending as well.

Cooper felt terrible about what he did to the shopkeeper, the court heard.

Judge William Mousley KC said fortunately the defendant did not appear to have been significantly affected by Cooper’s actions. The judge said the offences were both high culpability robberies due to the production of the knife.