A thug threatened to stab a shop worker before smashing up his shop in a robbery sparked by a row over a mobile phone top up.
Paul Devine launched the terrifying attack at the Day 2 Day convenience store on Everton Valley last year, swinging a large kitchen knife at a terrified worker. The 34 year old later told police he couldn’t remember the incident and wept as he was shown footage of the chaos he caused.
Katy Appleton, prosecuting, said Devine went into the shop on December 20 and asked to top up £10 on his phone. The money appeared to go from his account but he couldn’t yet see it on his phone records.
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He then began arguing with the shop worker before leaving the shop. However, he then returned drunk and on drugs and launched a vile attack as horrified witnesses looked on from outside.
Ms Appleton said: “A short time later, 40 minutes later, the defendant returned holding a large kitchen knife. He said to the complainant ‘open the till, give me the money’.”
She said Devine then began swinging the knife around inside the shop. A witness who saw the incident unfold from outside told police they could hear him say “give me the money, give me the money, what’s your problem, I need the cash”.
In a recording played in court today Devine can also be heard shouting “I’ll stab you, I’ll stab you”. The shopkeeper managed to grab the bar used to close the shop’s shutters and swung it at Devine, hitting him on the head.
He then dropped it before Devine picked it up and fled the shop, smashing the window and causing other damage on the way out. Blood left on the floor from Devine’s head wound was tested and he was arrested. Ms Appleton said Devine cried when faced with footage of the incident and said he had no recollection of it but later pleaded guilty to attempted robbery, possession of a bladed article and criminal damage.
John Rowan, defending, said Devine had drunk heavily and used drugs before going into the shop and had severe mental health issues at the time. Mr Rowan said: “He is genuinely remorseful, ashamed and disgusted with himself for what he has done. I think that is demonstrated by his guilty plea but also by the emotional reaction he had when he was shown footage of the incident by police.”
The dad-of-one has a number of previous convictions, including a 2008 robbery conviction, though he had largely avoided serious crime in the years since. Mr Rowan said Devine fell into drug use and criminal offending after a potentially promising football career was cut short very early by an injury in his mid-teens.
He said that Devine managed to get his life back on track for a number of years but then lost his job, broke up with his partner and began abusing drink and drugs again. The judge, Recorder Michael Blakey, said Devine clearly deeply regretted his actions but warned the incident continued to have an impact on his victim.
He said: “It is quite clear that the victim in this case was extremely fearful, terrified for his life, and he says he now has trouble sleeping. That is not surprising. This was a terrifying incident.” Devine, of Jason Street, was jailed for five years and three months.
