A 27-year-old man who robbed a garage in the Forest of Dean of cash, tobacco pouches and bottles of vodka worth a total of £1,469.98 has been jailed for three years.

Prosecutor Charlotte Evans told Gloucester Crown Court on Wednesday (June 22) that at 11.45pm on March 17, 2022, Jonny Wooky-Thompson, of no fixed address, was in a car that was being driven by another man along the A48 and when he noticed that Alvington Service Station was unattended with nobody in the shop.

The car was turned around and entered the forecourt.

Ms Evans said: "Wooky-Thompson then entered the service station with another man and walked to the till. He held the door to the back office so it could not be opened. He stole £400 from the till, around £1,000 worth of tobacco pouches and bottles of vodka valued at £80.

"The man who was on duty saw what was going on in the shop via the CCTV and as he was unable to get back into the shop, he used the fire doors in the back office to exit the building and ran to the front of the service station and re-entered through the front door and tried to block Wooky-Thompson's exit.

"But when Wooky-Thompson raised a baton in a threatening manner he pushed past the man and returned to his car and sped off.

"The police recognised Wooky-Thompson by his clothing on the CCTV and subsequently arrested him the following day when he was also remanded into custody by magistrates."

Steven Young, defending, stated that no actual violence was used during the robbery and added: "Wooky-Thompson believed that as nobody was in the shop he was simply going to walk in and steal something.

"However he took with him a baton, an offensive weapon in terms of the law, and he was followed in by another occupant from the car, who has not been charged.

"When Wooky-Thompson left the shop he raised the baton in a threatening manner towards the staff member. He was about five metres from the shop worker, but didn't say anything and left without further incident."

Wooky-Thompson pleaded guilty to the robbery of a man in Alvington, taking £400 in cash, alcohol and tobacco on March 17, 2022.

The judge Recorder Richard Stead told Wooky-Thompson: "You have already served a two year prison sentence for robbery and another custodial term for threatening somebody with an offensive weapon.

"There was an element of planning as you went into the store with a baton and effectively locked the door to the back room of the service station allowing you to steal cash from the till, tobacco pouches and bottles of vodka.

"Luckily the store worker was not harmed by you. However, this case is so serious that only a custodial sentence is appropriate."

The judge sentenced Wooky-Thompson to a prison term of three years and ordered him to pay a victim surcharge of £190. He made no order for compensation.