A 42-year-old man has been sentenced to 15 months in prison after blackmailing a member of staff and robbing a shop in Lincoln.
On August 20, 2014, at around 8.20am, Michael John Williams, from Skegness, entered Premier Food on St Swithins Square where he threatened the lone shop assistant with being beaten by a gang unless he gave him money from the till.
Lincolnshire Police reported that after the shop assistant refused, Williams grabbed a pouch of tobacco, a lighter and papers from the counter before leaving the store.
Council CCTV operators identified Williams on CCTV and police officers quickly arrested him at Lincoln Central train station.
Williams was charged with robbery that day and remanded in custody until he appeared in Lincoln Crown Court on Monday, February 16.
He pleaded guilty to blackmail, having earlier pleaded guilty to theft, and was sentenced him to 15 months in prison.