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A 40-year-old man has been sentenced to four years in prison after he pleaded guilty to the robbery of a betting shop.
On October 29 last year, Robert Paul Howieson, previously of Kettering, entered the bookies on Silver Street at about 1pm and spent about an hour and a half placing several bets before he approached the front counter and demanded money.
Pulling out a knife from his waistband, he gave the staff member behind the till a carrier bag and told her to fill it up with money, telling her that if she refused, he would jump behind the counter and do it himself.
Howieson left the shop with just over £400 in stolen cash, telling an acquaintance a short time later that he’d just robbed the shop.
An investigation was launched by Northamptonshire Police and he was arrested the next day and subsequently charged with one count of robbery and one count of possessing a bladed article in a public place.
He later pleaded guilty to both offences at Northampton Crown Court, returning to the same court this month (February 16) where he was sentenced to four years in prison.
At the sentencing hearing, the effect the robbery has had on the staff member was apparent in her victim personal statement which was read out to the court.
“I used to be a “bubbly” person,” it read. “But now I find I struggle to smile, the robbery has changed my personality. I feel like my head is scrambled; I feel emotionally drained all the time.”
Lead investigator - Detective Constable Irina Muraru, said: “This was a terrifying experience for the staff member in this case and so I’m really pleased to see Howieson handed this prison sentence.
“On that day in October, he acted brazenly and thought that he could get away with what he’d done, but that wasn’t the case.
“Tackling serious violence remains a priority for Northamptonshire Police and we will continue working hard to bring people like Howieson to justice.”