A MAN who held a large hunting knife to the midriff of a Bradford newsagent as he robbed him of £200 has been jailed for more than six years.

Stuart Blackburn, 31, had armed himself with the weapon before bursting into Samm’s Newsagents in Smith Avenue, Wibsey, on the evening of October 8 last year.

Prosecutor Duncan Ritchie told Bradford Crown Court that the shop’s proprietor, Hikmat Khan, was talking to regular customer Christopher Wales when Blackburn entered the store with a hat and scarf partially covering his face.

He held the knife to Mr Khan’s stomach as he demanded that he open the till.

Mr Ritchie said that after being given £40, Blackburn “wanted more” and reached inside the till to grab more cash, taking the total to £200. He fled the scene on foot before police arrived.

Despite the lack of CCTV or fingerprint evidence, officers suspected that Blackburn may have been behind the raid, and he was interviewed. He denied the offence, but was picked out by both Mr Khan and Mr Wales in an identification parade.

The defendant, of Pasture Side Terrace East, Clayton, admitted charges of robbery and the possession of a bladed article in a public place on the day of a proposed trial.

The court heard that the robbery was the second time Mr Khan’s shop had been targeted in 2017, with the previous offence involving a man wielding a machete.

In a victim impact statement, Mr Khan said the raid had left him feeling “very scared” and “uneasy” in his shop, particularly with customers he did not know. He said he was still having nightmares about the incident months later.

Mr Wales, who Blackburn also threatened with the knife, said he had also been scared by the incident and was now afraid to leave his home after dark.

The court heard that Blackburn was already serving a six-month sentence for battery and had numerous previous convictions for violence.

Ian Hudson, defending, said he accepted his client had caused psychological harm to his victims, but “happily”, no physical injuries.

He said that in September last year, Blackburn, a painter and decorator, had started “drinking excessively” due to the breakdown of a relationship with his long-term partner and the death of a childhood friend.

Mr Hudson said the defendant showed regret for his actions, and had “gone into the shop for money on the spur of the moment.”

The Recorder of Bradford, Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC, granted an indefinite restraining order preventing Blackburn from entering the shop or contacting either Mr Khan or Mr Wales.

Jailing Blackburn for 75 months, the judge said: “The court must view this as a grave matter.

“You had disguised yourself and armed yourself with a large kitchen knife. And, due to your drink problem, you went because you knew that store would be an easy target.

“The location assisted you, this little shop on its own in a residential area. You were determined. The knife was held to the stomach of the shop owner as you demanded money. When not enough was handed over, you seized the till and ran off.

“The effects on those two gentlemen have been real, long-lasting, and deep-seated.”