South Shields robber snatched cash till from Boldon Lane shop - but dropped it when chased

Aaron Greenhow walked into a newsagent in South Shields, South Tyneside, in August 2022 with his face partially covered.

Prosecutor Caroline McGurk told Newcastle Crown Court: "At 2:30 in the afternoon on the 13th of August 2022, the defendant entered Boldon Lane News in South Shields. He was wearing his hood up to disguise himself.

"He approached the counter and he stole the till from the lady behind the counter who held onto the wire in an attempt to prevent the defendant from stealing it.

“This tug of war lasted less than one minute."

Ms McGurk said that during the tussle, the victim tried to hang on to the wire and as a result had her wrist banged off the counter which caused a large bump.

Greenhow eventually succeeded and made off from the shop but his escape was short-lived after a Good Samaritan drove his van towards the defendant which resulted in him dropping the till.

It was returned to the store by the member of the public.

The 31-year-old, of Gresford Street, South Shields, who has 31 previous convictions for 58 offences, was arrested and he later pleaded guilty to robbery.

In a victim impact statement made at the time the shop worker said she had planned to work beyond January 2023 for months, possibly years, had the incident not happened.

But in an updated statement she said her mental health had not improved and as a result she quit her job which he had held for 27 years.

At the time of writing the second statement she said: "It's now been nearly two years since I was victim to a robbery.

"The incident had an impact on my life at the time and I was on edge every time I was in work. Unfortunately, this has not subsided or improved. If anything, it has become worse.

"I have now retried from the shop and I'm crippled with anxiety and I'm constantly one edge.

"My family have tried to get me out (of the house) but I make excuses as I'm terrified of something happening again."

Meanwhile the owner of shop said the till, which originally cost £580, needed to be replaced.

Judge Timothy Gittins sentenced Greenhow to four years behind bars and commended the "determined" shop assistant.

The judge told the defendant: "Your getaway was effectively foiled very swiftly by the public spirited and fast thinking actions of (the witness).

"The till that you targeted was damaged beyond repair."

Robin Turton, defending, said: "He has complex and long-standing mental health difficulties.

"He has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. He has been sectioned a number of times for varying lengths of duration."