Two men who robbed a BP petrol station in Long Sutton, Lincolnshire and assaulted the cashier with a pair of pliers have been jailed for a total of over 11 years.
According to The Lincolnite website, Robert Barnes was jailed for six years and four months and Connor Tierney was sentenced to five years imprisonment.
The pair were caught on CCTV as they entered the BP site at 3.45am on March 15 last year. The member of staff on duty saw the men on the forecourt, thought they were customers and so unlocked the door to the store. When they got closer, the staff member saw both men had covered their faces and one had a set of pliers.
The Lincolnite reported that Tierney hit the cashier with the pliers twice and demanded: “Give me the money.”
Barnes remained at the front door making sure it did not click shut.
Luckily the staff member managed to fight back and locked himself in a store cupboard before escaping through an emergency exit and flagging down a lorry driver.
Barnes and Tierney then stole alcohol, cigarettes and a Yodel package, valued together at £700, and left.
They were later identified by police after Tierney’s face was left partially uncovered during the robbery and a distinctive mark on Barnes’ arm was also visible.
In a victim impact statement the cashier said it was remarkable he did not suffer a more serious injury than a bump to his head and grazed arm. He took a month off work because he was scared and anxious and later returned to India because he felt the UK was not safe.
Barnes admitted robbery and also pleaded guilty to one charge of intentional strangulation, three charges of assault and one charge of assault by beating. All the assaults were carried out against family members.
Tierney pleaded guilty to robbery and also admitted an offence of assaulting an emergency worker after pushing past a police officer who had been to his home.
Judge Catarina Sjolin Knight said the victim was in the UK doing a management course but had now returned to India. She said she was ashamed of that and hoped the perpetrators were too.
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