Petrol station robber jailed for knife raids

The man who raided Barnard Castle’s petrol station is starting a three-year jail term after leaving staff fearing for their lives.

Matthew Howe pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery at the Penny On The Move store and was jailed for three years and four months at Durham Crown Court on May 28.

The 30-year-old from Cockfield targeted the filling station on March 30 and April 3, threatening staff with a knife on both occasions.

And in a statement supplied to the court, one of the victims said: “This incident has made me question if I wish to do this job anymore – you can replace items, but you can’t replace a life. I felt like my life was threatened and this has worried me.”

In the first incident, Howe made off with £270 in cash and two pouches of tobacco.

In the second attack he stole about £100.

Howe was arrested on April 5 after a police officer, who had seen CCTV footage of him from the robbery, spotted him in Barnard Castle wearing the same trainers.

Penny Petroleum, the company that operates the Barnard Castle garage welcomed the swift resolution of the case, which saw Howe jailed within two months of his first robbery.

“We were pleased with the sentence handed down and are satisfied with the prompt timescale in which this case was dealt with,” said Emma Shell, head of compliance and business development for Penny Petroleum.

“We believe it sends a clear message that crimes of this nature will be taken seriously and dealt with appropriately by the courts.”

Things are returning to normal at the filling station, which briefly moved to shorter opening hours in the aftermath of the attacks.

“We would like to extend our continued thanks to the local community for the support they have shown both the store and our colleagues throughout this period,” added Ms Shell.

“We remain committed to providing the ultimate convenience and service to our customers and are pleased that we can now put this incident behind us and focus on moving forward.”

Temporary Detective Constable David Armstrong, from South Durham CID, said: “These were terrifying incidents for the shop assistants, who were simply at work doing their job when they were targeted by Howe.

“No-one should face violence or threats of violence while at work, so I am pleased Howe is now facing a jail term for his despicable actions.”