Knife-wielding man held up staff member in Ardglass store raid

Knife-wielding man held up staff member in Ardglass store raid

25 September 2019

A MAN who threatened staff with a knife as he carried out a robbery at a shop in Ardglass will be sentenced tomorrow.

Bradley Hamilton stole cash and cigarettes during what was described as a “hair-brained robbery” at the Eurospar shop on October 22 last year.

Nineteen year-old Hamilton, who had 87 previous convictions, was known to staff and was later arrested at his girlfriend’s house a short distance away where police found £35 in cash and almost £900 worth of cigarettes.

Downpatrick Crown Court heard last Thursday how Hamilton went to the Downpatrick Road premises just as it was opening for business.

Wearing a green parka, he approached the counter and lifted a bottle of juice. He returned a short time later carrying a kitchen knife with a 10-inch blade and shouted: “Hand me over your money. I want it now.”

A terrified staff member put cash and cigarettes into a plastic bag and Hamilton then left the shop.

Outlining details, a prosecution lawyer said staff were left in a “state of shock”, but there were no serious injuries.

The lawyer said the incident was captured on CCTV and that police later went to the home of Hamilton’s girlfriend where they recovered the cash and cigarettes in a blood-stained bag along with blood-stained clothing.

A defence lawyer said it was a “hair-brained and ill advised robbery”, explaining that Hamilton was not wearing a mask and had been in the shop on a number of previous occasions.

He said Hamilton, of Inishargie Gardens, Bangor, had been drinking heavily and taking drugs and did not remember going into the shop.

The barrister said Hamilton had been offending since the age of 13 and was just 14 when he was first sentenced to a period in detention.

He said Hamilton had been receiving help for mental health issues and that his attitude had “completely changed” while in custody.

He explained that Hamilton had written a letter of apology to the court and had saved up money to make up for the loss to the shop.

“He realises this is a very serious offence. He knows that a custodial sentence is inevitable,” the barrister added.

Judge Geoffrey Miller said it was a “frightening incident” which occurred two weeks after Hamilton had been sentenced for other matters.

The judge said he was not going to pass sentence immediately because he had a “number of factors” to consider before deciding on an appropriate sentence.