A man armed with a knife stole thousands in tobacco and alcohol from a Co-op in Easington, leaving staff terrified during the robbery
Easington: So, there was this crazy robbery at the Co-op on Seaside Lane. A guy named Dean Smith went in just before 7 am on August 8 last year, armed with a big knife. Can you believe that?
The court heard he went straight behind the counter and started grabbing packs of cigarettes. A cleaner saw him and warned the shop assistant, but Smith was all aggressive, threatening to kill anyone who got too close.
The assistant later said it was the first time he really feared for his life at work. Smith made off with between £3,000 and £4,000 worth of tobacco and booze. It’s just wild!
They finally caught him thanks to a blood drop found near the till. He was arrested at his home on August 24, but when the police questioned him, he just stayed quiet.
The shop assistant mentioned that while Easington has its fair share of shoplifting, he never thought something like this would happen to him. Smith, who’s 40 and has a long criminal record, admitted to robbery and having a knife.
The judge pointed out that Smith knew what he was doing, and it was serious. He scared the life out of the people in the shop. In the end, he got a four-year prison sentence, which could have been six if it had gone to trial.
Smith’s lawyer said he was sorry for what he did and had been working on his issues while in custody. The judge also gave him an 18-month sentence for the knife possession, but that’ll run at the same time as the robbery sentence.
