Sittingbourne: Armed Robber Jailed

23 October 2014, 15:30

An armed robber who carried out a violent raid at a Sittingbourne newsagents has been jailed for five years.

Wayne Albone, 27, of College Road, Sittingbourne, threw a till at the shopkeeper and thrust a knife towards him before stealing a large quantity of cash, on Thursday 12 December 2013.

However, an off-duty police officer witnessed him running away from the scene and noted down the registration number of the car he escaped in, leading to Albone's arrest.

He was found guilty of robbery at Maidstone Crown Court on Wednesday (22 October) and sentenced to five years in prison.

The court heard how Albone - wearing a scarf around his face to conceal his identity - entered Chaucer News in Chaucer Road at about 6.40pm on the day of the robbery.

After ushering two customers to the rear of the store, he threw a till at the shopkeeper and attempted to stab him with a knife before escaping with hundreds of pounds in cash.

Officers stopped and arrested Albone the next day, discovering £480 in his jogging bottoms and £90 hidden in his socks.

He also had a small cut to his left wrist, which CCTV footage showed was inflicted by the shopkeeper in his attempts to defend himself.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Mark Silk said: "This was a particularly violent robbery in which a shopkeeper was fortunate to escape without being seriously injured or worse.

"Wayne Albone is a dangerous man who does not deserve to enjoy the benefits of a civilised society and is now quite rightly behind bars.

"I hope his victim can take some comfort in Albone's sentence after enduring such a terrifying ordeal."