A ROBBER who threatened an off-licence employee with a knife has been jailed for five years.

Michael Johnson, of Samuel Street, Atherton, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court yesterday, Friday, after being found guilty of robbery and possession of a bladed article in public.

At around 10pm on Sunday, July 17, Johnson went into Bargain Booze on Elliot Street, Tyldesley, and brandished a knife.

The 39-year-old then threatened a female member of staff and demanded money from the till.

However she refused to co-operate and Johnson fled the store after grabbing a quantity of cigarettes.

Johnson’s identity was obscured by a beanie hat that was pulled over his face, but he was arrested on August 12 after police received information that he was responsible for the robbery.

Temporary detective sergeant Ian Deary, of Greater Manchester Police’s Wigan borough division, said: “This was a cowardly incident where Johnson thought he could get away with holding up a community store with a dangerous weapon.

“The woman he threatened was incredibly brave to resist his demands and deserves praise for her defiance.

“Ultimately we were able to arrest Johnson thanks to intelligence from the community and this case should serve as a prime example of how information from the public is so often crucial in helping us tackle crime.

“The sentence should reinforce the message that GMP is committed to fighting knife crime and that we will catch offenders and deal with them robustly.”