Two masked robbers who threatened a female shop worker with an axe in a terrifying raid caught on camera have been jailed. Benjamin Allen, 20, and Cameron Fitzgerald, 19, were part of the gang that burst into the tiny store and held the woman hostage during the shocking 90-second raid.
The three masked men burst into the shop in Grimsby, Lincolnshire. They then attacked the worker in what a senior detective described as 'one of the most violent offences of its type' that he'd ever seen.
One man, wearing a grey hoodie and a blue surgical mask, pushed the woman back while holding an axe. But, despite the danger, the woman continued to struggle against her attackers - even after she was put in a head-lock and had a hatchet held close to her throat.
The trio later tried to smash open the shop’s till with their weapon, but the store worker bravely managed to shove them out of the door before they fled. Two of the offenders were later identified as Allen and Fitzgerald by police and were arrested a few days after the robbery on April 21, 2021.
They were both jailed for three years after pleading guilty to armed robbery. The third person involved in the robbery was not charged, police said.
The woman was not seriously hurt, but the trauma of the experience has remained with her, Humberside Police said. Speaking after sentencing, detective constable Nigel Morgan praised the woman for her bravery.
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He said: “I feel sure that Ben Allen and Cameron Fitzgerald thought that they disguised themselves well enough not to be identified. They were wrong, the investigative enquiries we conducted meant that we have been able to unmask them and bring them to justice.
“I want to praise the victim for her actions on the day and in the subsequent investigation. This was a terrifying incident for her and I can only hope that these sentences bring her some comfort in knowing these two men will be in jail for three years.
“The CCTV footage shows the level of aggression used just to get a few packet of cigarettes. Having viewed the CCTV carefully I have to say that this is one of the most violent offences of its type that I have seen. Their sentences will give them time to reflect on their actions and I hope that they will consider their life choices once they are released.”
