One of two men who staged a terrifying robbery at a North Wales petrol station in the early hours has today been jailed for three years and nine months.
James Lee Wilkinson, 23, who had previous convictions for 23 offences, refused to name his accomplice.
Mold Crown Court heard they struck at 3.30am on September 11 at the Esso garage at Rhostyllen near Wrexham.
The lone staff member served Wilkinson, of Ashlands Road, Weston Rhyn, Oswestry, but was then approached by the unknown accomplice, who had a hammer.
The pair took the staff member into the office, where they demanded that he open the safe.
The victim told them he was unable to do so, but one of the men managed to open a small safe.
They also disabled the CCTV before leaving with 200 packets of cigarettes and cash to the value of £2,470, said prosecuting barrister Sarah Morgan.
Judge Niclas Parry told Wilkinson, who appeared at his preliminary hearing via video link from Altcourse Prison in Liverpool, that it was “a terrifying incident”.
He said: “It was 3.30am when you, with another man who you refused to name, targeted a vulnerable service station occupied, as you would have known, by one man.
“He begged you not to do anything stupid because he had a child.”
Ms Morgan told how the defendant drove up to the petrol pumps and was recognised by the staff member, who released the fuel when the defendant gave him the thumbs up.
The defendant entered the shop and bought a drink but, as he was paying, the victim became aware of another man by his side with a claw hammer.
Wilkinson told him to “leave the f***ing till open” and began to empty the till.
The second man with the hammer asked him to open the safe, and eventually opened the smaller safe and took some money.
The victim called the police despite threats not to do so, and was able to give officers a partial registration number.
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