Armed robber jailed after threatening shop worker

A robber who threatened an off-licence employee with a knife is behind bars.
Michael JohnsonMichael Johnson
Michael Johnson

Michael Johnson, 39, of Samuel Street, Atherton, was jailed for five years at Liverpool Crown Court today.

He was found guilty of robbery and possession of a bladed article in public following a trial.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Johnson went into Bargain Booze, on Elliott Street, Tyldesley, and brandished a knife at around 10.05pm on Sunday, July 17.

He threatened a female member of staff and demanded money from the till.

She refused to co-operate and Johnson fled the store after grabbing cigarettes.

Johnson’s identity was obscured by a beanie hat pulled over his face, but he was arrested on Friday, August 12 after police received information that he was responsible for the robbery.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Temporary Det Sgt Ian Deary, of Greater Manchester Police’s Wigan division, said: “This was a cowardly incident where Johnson thought he could get away with holding up a community store with a dangerous weapon.

“The woman he threatened was incredibly brave to resist his demands and deserves praise for her defiance.

“Ultimately, we were able to arrest Johnson thanks to intelligence from the community and this case should serve as a prime example of how information from the public is so often crucial in helping us tackle crime.

“Today’s sentence should reinforce the message that GMP is committed to fighting knife crime and that we will catch offenders and deal with them robustly.”

Related topics: