Robin Hood actor stages village shop robbery and makes off with takings

Student Daniel Killen, 18, who had starred as the Sheriff of Nottingham and in 'High School Musical' with a local drama group, was an employee at the shop in the York suburb of Wigginton when he and a friend staged a robbery.

Killen claimed a masked robber threw him to the floor before fleeing with a bag of cash and then repeated his well-rehearsed lies to the shocked shop owners, leaving the their young son in tears.

The tale of the 'raid' also appeared in local media and on North Yorkshire Police's website with Killen claiming he was in "complete shock" and "unable to get over it."

When police became suspicious he eventually admitted the burglary had been a "crazy" sham plotted with friend Richard Caygill, 20, as the jobless pair struggled with credit card debts.

Handing them both two-year community orders with a year's supervision, Judge Ben Nolan QC said: "This was a crazy scheme, in some ways it was always bound to fail. In desperation the two of you decided to fake a burglary.

"Caygill, you pretended to be the burglar and Killen, you pretended to be the victim. Both of you knew Killen was a trusted employee at the store and you also both knew Killen would have to make a false statement to police."

Prosecuting, David Garnett said that Killen, a member of local drama group the Rowntree Players, had begun working at Wigginton Village Stores in November last year.

He said that on March 14 at 9.20pm Caygill entered the shop and headed straight for a drawer where a bag of money was kept. He grabbed it and pushed Mr Killen as he left. Later that day Mr Killen made a written statement to police about the robbery.

But their plan began to unravel when the bag was found nearby a few days later with most of the cash missing.

Mr Garnett said: "Police quickly realised there must have been some sort of inside information because Mr Caygill knew exactly where to go to find the bag containing the cash. It was planned to look like a robbery cum theft but not very well planned. They both had credit card debts at the time."

Defending, Kevin Blount said the pair conceded their crimes when challenged by police. He added that both were currently unemployed although were actively seeking work.

The pair, both from York, will also have to complete 150 hours of unpaid work each and repay 808 to the shop owners to compensate for the stolen cash.

They both admitted burglary at an earlier hearing, and Killen also pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice at the same hearing. Neither has any previous convictions.

After the incident, Killen, a member of the Flying Ducks Youth Theatre and the Rowntree Players, spoke of his "complete shock" at the burglary, saying: "I do not think I have come to terms with it. The robber's face was covered and he was walking pretty quickly.

"Pretty much immediately he went round to the back of the shop and dived into the back room where we keep money and stock. I followed him round and when I got to him he had just found what he was looking for. He grabbed it and shoved me out of the way then legged it."

Ann-Marie Jeffery, who owns the store with husband Nick, spoke about their feelings of betrayal after Killen watched their 12-year-old son Sam sob as he recounted the 'robbery'.

She said: "The worst thing was that he stood and watched my 12-year-old son crying and sobbing because we had been burgled. He knew then exactly who had done it, and then to have the nerve to just continue working.

"Dan got friendly with our family and our children couldn't believe it when I told them it was him. The customers in the shop couldn't believe it and all the aff were in total shock."