Masked raiders struck late at night attack at Bradford shop

A judge heard on Thursday that Daniel Khan committed the offence back in July 2021, but he was not charged with the serious crime until April this year.

Khan, who is now 19, had his trial listed at Bradford Crown Court last month and he finally pleaded guilty to the robbery offence which relates to a late-night attack at the Kofola Stores premises on Great Horton Road.

Judge Colin Burn heard that a female shop assistant was working at the premises when a younger boy, who was subsequently dealt with by the youth court, came into the shop and took some items to the counter.

Kofola Stores in Great Horton Road (Image: Google Streetview)

Prosecutor Harry Crowson said at that point Khan and another unknown male, who was carrying a machete, came into the shop with masks covering their faces.

Mr Crowson said the young boy threw himself onto the floor pretending to be an innocent bystander while the robber holding the machete banged the counter with the weapon.

During the incident, the shop assistant suffered a cut to her arm, which left a scar, before Khan grabbed two bottles of vodka and the trio fled the scene together.

The court heard that the youngest offender was later identified by a teacher after an appeal for information was published in the local media and an image on his phone showed him brandishing the blade and the stolen bottles of vodka.

Bradford Crown Court was the venue for the sentencing hearing

Mr Crowson said the victim described how her body would shake when she thought about the incident and she was unable to return to work for an extended period of time.

He explained that if Khan had committed the offence as an adult the starting point for his prison sentence would have been in the region of five years.

Barrister John Bottomley, for Khan, said he was 16 years and 10 months when he committed the robbery and if he had been charged sooner he would have been dealt with in the youth court.

He said Khan, of Elizabeth Street, Little Horton, had admitted to the author of his pre-sentence report that the robbery had been “opportunistic” and at the time he was smoking a lot of cannabis.

Mr Bottomley submitted that Khan, who had no previous convictions, had now expressed genuine remorse for the offence and he had taken positive steps since the robbery.

He explained that Khan was now employed in a warehouse and had also enrolled on a university course studying business.

Judge Burn sentenced Khan to two years custody, but suspended the term for two years.

Judge Colin Burn sentenced Khan

He said it had been a serious offence, but as a 16-year-old Khan probably didn’t give sufficient thought to the effect the robbery would have on the complainant.

Judge Burn said the person with the machete, who had never been traced, had hit the shop assistant with it and the psychological scar on her was going to be long lasting.

The judge described the delay in the case as “very regrettable” and said there were now a substantial number of mitigating features in Khan’s case.

As part of his suspended sentence Khan will have to comply with 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days and complete 200 hours of unpaid work for the community.

“This was a corner shop,” said Judge Burn.

“It was a community shop serving the community and for that reason, if for no other, you should perform unpaid work for the community as a punishment,” he told Khan.