A robber who threatened a shopkeeper with a knife before stealing a large sum of money from the till has been jailed for more than four years.

Craig Lewis, 35, pleaded guilty to robbery and possession of a bladed article at a hearing on April 19 following the incident at the Parliament Street News shop in Burnley on March 12.

Burnley Crown Court heard how on that date, Lewis went into the shop at around 8.35pm, acting as a regular customer and putting some items on the counter before telling the shopkeeper he had forgotten his bank card and would go and get it.

He returned around 10 minutes later, this time walking straight towards counter, and said to the shopkeeper, ‘open the f*****g till’.

The shopkeeper initially refused to cooperate and pushed Lewis backwards, which led to a scuffle between the pair and ended with them both on the floor.

After getting back up, the shopkeeper then complied with Lewis’ demands and watched as he removed all the notes from the till, leaving the coins behind.

The shopkeeper initially estimated the total taken to be around £800, but it later turned out to be around £575.

In the ensuing scuffle between the two, the shopkeeper received a small cut to the hand from the knife, with blood being visible on the CCTV footage.

A jar of curry sauce left by Lewis on the counter led to his identification after his fingerprints were picked up from it.

Lewis, who has 33 convictions for 53 offences, was interviewed on March 20 and 21 and answered no comment to all questions, apart from to say he usually works as a builder.

Mitigating for Lewis, Alaric Bassano said: “He is rightly ashamed of his actions. He is disgusted with himself. His feelings of shame are richly deserved.

“What the defendant did with the knife was outrageous, dangerous, and he was making a threat of extreme violence.

“This isn’t somebody who has routinely gone into shops, approached victims with weapons, and robbed them. This stands out as something rather unusual on his record.”

Sentencing, Judge Ian Unsworth KC said: “On March 12, 2023, in what is plainly and objectively a carefully planned robbery, you produced various good which you placed on the counter, misled your victim into thinking you were going to obtain some money, and then returned.

“On your return you went straight behind the counter and in your left hand you brandished a knife. It must have been a wholly terrifying experience for him (the shopkeeper).”

Judge Unsworth sentenced Lewis, of Canning Street, Padiham, to four years and four months in prison, with a further five years on extended license, giving an overall extended sentence of nine years and four months.