A Seaham man who carried out an attempted robbery while armed with a kitchen knife has been put behind bars.
Leon Savage walked into the New Seaham Service Station at around 11.30pm on April 1 this year and asked the lone staff member to call the police before he "did something stupid". After the staff member refused, Savage then produced a knife and demanded money from the till.
Fortunately, three customers in the service station's forecourt came to assist, and Savage resorted to putting the knife away and even shook the employee's hand in a "half-hearted apology" before buying a scratch-card and leaving. The 27-year-old was arrested later on at his home.
Savage, of Wordsworth Avenue, Seaham, appeared at Durham Crown Court on Wednesday to be sentenced for possession of a knife and attempted robbery. He pleaded guilty to the charges during the hearing.
John Crawford, prosecuting, said the lone staff member was working behind the till when Savage walked in and asked him to call the police "before he did something stupid".
He said: "The staff member refused, saying it was a waste of police time and the defendant said 'not if I did this' and then produced a four inch kitchen knife - he demanded money from the till. The staff member described the defendant's behaviour as unpredictable and as a result of his demands the panic button was activated."
The court heard that three customers were in the garage forecourt at the time, and the staff member "waved" them in. They entered the station to assist, and Savage put the knife back in his pocket.
Mr Crawford said Savage then "paced around for some time" and even bought a scratch-card with his own bank card before leaving. Due to an issue with the panic button, there was a delay with the arrival of the police, but Savage was later arrested at his home. The court was told Savage had three previous convictions for nine offences and was in breach of an electronic curfew and a suspended sentence at the time of the robbery attempt.
Jennifer Coxon, defending, said it was clear it was a "half-hearted attempt at a robbery" and even shook the hand of the employee which was a "half-hearted attempt to apologise". She said: "He has little recollection of what he's done."
Ms Coxon told the court that Savage had issues with "drinking to excess" as well as his mental health. She added: "He asked for the police as he knew he needed help. He had been drinking to excess and had taken a small amount of diazepam. He doesn't shy away from his behaviour and can only apologise to the gentleman in the garage."
Sentencing him, Judge Tim Gittins, said the offences were "serious" and jailed Savage for 33 months.
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