A man who threatened a shop worker with a knife in Colchester before stealing cash has been jailed for three years and eight months.
Robert Duke, 33, of Conifer Close, Colchester, pleaded guilty to robbery and threatening a person with a knife at Ipswich Crown Court yesterday, Wednesday, March 1, before being sentenced.
At around 7.40pm on Friday, January 20, Duke walked into a shop in St Christopher Road, threatened a female worker with a kitchen knife and demanded cash from the till. He ran away with a three-figure sum of cash.
The incident was caught on CCTV and Duke was arrested after being identified following a public appeal for information.
Investigating officer Dc Chris Leslie said: “Duke subjected an innocent victim to a terrifying ordeal, threatening her with a large kitchen knife before running off with cash.
“Her bravery in providing evidence against him, plus the assistance from the member of public after seeing the press appeal, as resulted in Duke serving a lengthy prison sentence.
The case demonstrates the power of social media and the importance of circulating CCTV images. I thank all those who helped bring Duke to justice.”
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