Wirral man and woman sentenced following knifepoint robbery
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We have welcomed the sentencing of a Wirral man and woman following a robbery at a shop earlier this year.
At around 1.20pm on Wednesday, 1 April, officers were called to the Premier Off License on Grove Road, Wallasey following reports a shop assistant had been held at knifepoint by two offenders. They demanded money, before making off with her mobile phone, a quantity of alcohol and cigarettes.
After a local Wirral PCSO recognised one of the offenders on CCTV images, officers carried out a warrant at a Wallasey address on Sunday 5 April, arresting a man and woman.
They were subsequently charged and after pleading guilty, were sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court yesterday, Monday, 8 June.
Louise Rutter, 24 of Liscard Road, Egremont was charged with robbery and possession of class A drugs, and was sentenced to two years in prison.
Oliver Whitehouse, 37, also of Liscard Road, Egremont was charged with robbery and possession of a knife and was sentenced to three years in prison.
Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Constable Kevin Thomas said: “This was no doubt an incredibly frightening ordeal for the victim, who had only recently started work at the shop when the incident took place.
“Rutter and Whitehouse had no regard for the impact their selfish actions would have on the victim or the business they stole from, and it is pleasing to see them both jailed for a considerable amount of time today.
“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. We cannot do this alone and working closely with our communities plays a vital part in gathering information, identifying offenders and bringing them to justice, as displayed in this case.
"The extensive local knowledge of the PCSO led to the offenders being promptly arrested and dealt with.”
If you have information on crime in your area, please contact @MerPolCC, 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously on 0800 555 111. Always call 999 in an emergency.