St Leonards man who threatened to 'kill' cashier in betting shop robbery is jailed

Kenneth Brown, 56, of Marline Road, St Leonards, walked into Coral in Battle Road and slid a note across the counter, which read “Give me the money or I’ll blow your head off’, Sussex Police added.

While doing so, he wrapped a jacket around his hand and forearm giving the appearance he had a firearm.

The cashier then withdrew £130 from the register and handed this over to Brown, who left the shop and attempted to cover a camera on his way out, police said.

Brown was identified through CCTV from the betting shop and was subsequently charged with robbery. The incident happened on Monday, January 2.

Police said he appeared before Lewes Crown Court last Monday (February 6) and pleaded guilty to one count of robbery.

He had also pleaded guilty year at an earlier hearing to stealing an elderly woman’s purse outside Co-op in London Road, St Leonards, on Thursday, December 15 last year.

Police said Brown was sentenced to a total of four years imprisonment. He was also ordered to pay £228 victim surcharge.

Prevention Inspector Aidan Cornwall, of the Hastings and Rother Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “This was a callous offence where Kenneth Brown sought to put cashiers in fear that he had a firearm in order to get them to hand over money.

“He was quickly identified and arrested by our officers and we remanded him in custody to place him before the next available court.

“We welcome this robust sentence of imprisonment to protect our community.”