Knifepoint robber jailed for till theft

A 20-year-old Shrewsbury man who robbed a fish and chip shop at knifepoint has been sent to a young offenders institution for more than three years.

Jason Challoner, of Winterton Way, Bicton Heath, appeared at Shrewsbury Crown Court yesterday. He admitted robbing Javinder Singh of a cash till to the value of £1,100 on April 17 and having a nine-inch knife

Judge Robin Onions sentenced him to three years and four months for the robbery and 12 months, to run concurrently, for possession of the kitchen knife.

Miss Samantha Crabb, prosecuting, said Challoner went into the Oxon fish and chip bar in Bicton Heath where Mr Singh was working at about 12.30pm, wearing a hoodie and dark clothing over his mouth and nose.

She said: "The defendant reached down and pulled out a knife, the defendant pointed the knife at Mr Singh, he then reached over the counter and grabbed the top of the shop till.

"He ran from the shop. The top half of the till only contained electrics not cash which was in the bottom part of the till, which he left behind."

The court heard the police received a call from another shop nearby saying Challoner had been acting strangely outside and CCTV showed him putting the knife down his trousers.

Mr Peter Cooper, for Challoner, said he understood his client visited Monkmoor Police Station prior to the offence after cutting off his tag and told them he could feel his drug addiction getting to him and asked them to arrest him. They declined.

He said: "That visit to the police station shows that this was a man who was trying to ward off the worst excesses of what he can do."

The court heard Monkmoor Police Station had no record of the visit.

The police were called to the shopping centre at about 12.15pm following reports a man had entered one of the stores with a knife.