Armed Yorkshire shoplifter with a knife attempted to rob a mum and her baby

Sheffield Crown Court heard on June 8 how shoplifter Arkadiss Stepans, aged 27, of George Street, Barnsley, had already committed offences on the same day before he targeted the woman.

Mehran Nassiri, prosecuting, said: “She was putting her young child into her car. She avoided conversation with the defendant by pretending to make a phone call but the defendant became aggressive and demanded she give him her phone.

"She refused and the defendant made a grabbing motion towards the phone and then a jabbing motion while he had a knife in his hand.

"When she told him she had a baby in the car the defendant appeared to come to his senses, apologised and walked away.”

Latvian national Stepans had also committed a series of offences during the same day prior to the attempted robbery on March 2, according to Mr Nassiri.

Mr Nassiri said Stepans had gone into a Boots store, on Cheapside, Barnsley, and stolen a Braun trimmer and he was spotted at a Quality Save store on Peel Street, Barnsley, where he is known as "Air Fryer Man” after he had previously attempted to steal from the store.

Stepans told the Quality Save manager he had a knife after he had been seen with an Air Fryer and had been confronted but he threatened to kill her and threatened to stab another staff member and a knife was seen in the defendant’s sleeve.

Following the attempted robbery in the afternoon, Stepans also stole clothing and towels from a Primark store before he was apprehended by police.

The mother-of-the baby said she had initially felt really mad because she had her child nearby in her car and she had later felt shocked.

Stepans told police he had been highly intoxicated from a mixture of class A drugs, medication and diazepam.

The defendant, who has previous convictions including shop thefts, pleaded guilty to attempted robbery, possessing a bladed article in public, making a threat to kill, common assault, two thefts and an attempted theft.

Defence barrister Christopher Brewin said: “He desperately wants to get his life back on track and wants to apologise for his wrong-doing.”

Mr Brewin added the background to Stepans’s offending was “escalating drug-use” and he regrets his wrong-doing.

Stepans told the court: “I would like to apologise for everything that I have done. I was not aware of my actions because I was under the influence of lots of drugs, but I understand nobody made me take those drugs.

"So I started taking drugs when I suffered from depression and when my child and my wife moved back to Latvia.”

He added: “I can reassure you there won’t be no room for drugs or alcohol in my life. That is why I am asking everyone to forgive me. Please forgive me.”

Recorder Meghan Rhys sentenced Stepans to 45 months of custody.

She told him: “The attempted robbery was committed in broad daylight in the town centre with a victim with a baby. She must have been terrified about what your intentions were towards both her and towards her child.”