'Not tonight mate' - Jail for robber who threatened security guard with a knife
A robber who told a shop security guard ‘not tonight mate’ before threatening to stab him has been jailed.
Ryan Lee Preston walked into Asda on Bower Road in Harrogate and took three bottles of spirits off the shelves before brazenly walking out of the door without paying.
When stopped by the security guard, Preston said ‘not tonight mate’.
The guard asked him to hand over the bottles and while he was doing so, Preston pulled up his shirt revealing a knife tucked into his waistband and said ‘do you want to get stabbed?’.
Preston then brandished the knife and he continued to make his way out of the store, and as the security guard followed him, he turned around and said ‘stop or I will stab you tonight’ before fleeing.
The 26-year-old, of no fixed abode, was jailed for two years at York Crown Court after previously admitting robbery and possession of a knife.
Investigating officer Detective Constable Dave Hunton, of North Yorkshire Police, praised the security guard for his bravery.
He said: “My thanks go to the security guard who bravely challenged Preston, not once, but three times, despite the presence of a knife and the threats made to him.
“This was an audacious crime and a frightening situation for the victim who went above and beyond to do his job.
“The defendant knew he would be caught on CCTV so attempted to change his appearance by shaving his head in a bid to evade identification. It didn’t work and he was arrested a short time after the investigation began.
“The security guard was extremely brave and thanks to him, a dangerous man who thought nothing of making serious violent threats to a person doing their job, is now behind bars. Violence towards our retail workers is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”