Man jailed for knifepoint robbery in Wallasey

Detectives have welcomed the sentencing of a 55-year-old man following a robbery in Wallasey in October 2020.

Graeme Hughes, of Wellington Road, Wallasey, was jailed for 44 months at Liverpool Crown Court after pleading guilty to robbery and threatening a person with an offensive weapon in a public place.

At around 1.25pm on Monday 12 October, police received a report that a female member of staff at the Best One shop on Mill Lane, Wallasey, had been threatened by a man holding a flick knife who demanded money from the till. 

The victim struggled with the man and managed to force him out of the shop, where he made off by car.

No money was taken and nobody was injured during the incident. 

Following CCTV enquiries which managed to trace his car, Hughes was linked to the scene and arrested that evening. 

Detective Inspector Nick Suffield said, “We are pleased that Hughes has been sentenced today and I would like to pay tribute to the bravery of the victim when faced with an extremely distressing situation. 

“It was extremely fortunate that nobody was hurt during this incident. Using a weapon to cause distress or harm is intolerable and we will continue to pursue offenders who think they can get away with it. 

“This case illustrates very clearly that business robberies are not victimless crimes – they can have a significant impact on people who live and work in our communities.

“We are determined to identify and bring to justice anyone who threatens and steals from residents and businesses in Wirral and across Merseyside, so if you hold any information about other incidents, come forward and we will do the rest to keep our communities safe."

If you have information on criminality in your area, always call 999 in an emergency, and you can also pass information via @MerPol, 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800555111.