Give me all the money’:
A knife-wielding robber burst into a Middlesbrough store and threatened staff

A knife-wielding robber was arrested after climbing over a counter and demanding money.

Michael Winner admitted theft as well as a series of six burglaries at stores in Redcar, during which a number of staff were threatened with glass bottles.

Winner, 37, of no fixed abode, appeared at Teesside Crown Court for sentencing via video link from prison.

Paul Cleasby, prosecuting, said that at 8.15pm on April 4, the winner entered the general store on Linthorpe Road in Middlesbrough. He walked straight towards the employee and began swinging the knife. He say:
“He pointed the knife at the shop owner and the shop owner heard him say ‘open the drawer and give me all the money you have’.”

Winner then began pointing a knife at the store employee before jumping the barricade into the counter. He say:
“The employee ran into the store to hide from the defendant. They went into a safe room.”

The winner leaves the store with three bottles of gin, three bottles of wine and essential oils. Mr. Cleasby said that before this incident, Winner had committed a series of thefts at stores in Redcar.

On March 10, he walked into Farm Foods in the city and told the manager he would “take what he wanted.” He placed four coffee pots in a basket and when confronted, he lifted one of the glass pots “as if he was going to punch the manager.”

The court heard from there he went to Morrisons in the city at 7.40pm and picked up two bottles of Jack Daniel’s spirits. Mr Cleasby said he told the security guard that if he tried to stop him he would “put a bottle at his head”.

The prosecutor said Winner then went to Tesco in Redcar where he again took three bottles of spirits. He say:“He told the security guard that he had returned to the scene and intended to kill him. “He told the guard that if he tried to stop him from leaving, he would put a bottle around his head.”

The court said that on March 19, Winner returned to Tesco and stole 6 bottles of whiskey. On March 21, he went to Farm Foods and stole eight pots of coffee and four pieces of meat, then went to Morrisons to steal alcohol.

John Nixon, defending, said that on the day of the robbery, Winner had taken an entire packet of zopiclone pills and alcohol and said he had no memory of the incident. He say:
“He had long-standing addictions and had never been able to control them adequately.”

Mr Nixon said Winner told him he wanted to change his ways and added:
“He asked me to apologize to everyone involved.”

Sentencing Winner to a total of four and a half years in prison, Judge Howard Crowson told him he had a terrible history of dishonesty and violence and could be seen as a threatening and intimidating figure to with the people in the Store. FIND OUT MORE

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