Britain’s most useless theif? Keiron Harley, 18, from Bargoed was jailed to two years two months for attempted robbery
A teenager has been jailed for more than two years after storming into a convenience shop holding a hammer above his head in an attempted robbery.
Keiron Harley, 18, from Bargoed, Wales marched into his local shop with a scarf over his face holding a hammer over his head on December 27 last year.
The thug threw a bag on the counter and demanded cash from behind the till, but a brave staff member simply snatched the 12 inch hammer from his hands.
Naomi Price, 22, was the only member of staff on duty at the time of the attempted theft, Cardiff Crown Court heard.
Ms Price snatched the weapon from Harley’s hands, thwarting the robbery.
John Lloyd, prosecuting, said the defendant ‘gave up’ and escaped but was stopped by police nearby.
Sentencing at Cardiff Crown Court, Judge Michael Fitton QC described the offending as ‘very serious’.
In a victim impact statement Ms Price said she has recurring nightmares.
Judge Fitton noted: ‘She is not going to get over the impact of that event in a hurry. She is frightened to go out. She is frightened for her personal safety.’
Harley initially denied the offence to police but later admitted attempted robbery.
A judge previously ordered a pre-sentence report focusing on his mental health.
Harley accepted he had taken drugs at the time of the incident, alongside anti-depression medication.
The court heard he was experiencing sensations he described to police as voices in his head telling him to do ‘silly things’ like robbery.
A prison doctor advised him that mixing his medication with drugs could give rise to such feelings.
Judge Fitton said: ‘There are no significant mental health issues to explain your conduct other than your own decision to take drugs.’
Harley marched into the local shop in Bargoed with a scarf over his face holding a hammer over his head on December 27 last year
He approached the till where Naomi Price, 22, was the only member of staff on duty, and she bravely snatched it out his hand
Brave shop worker Naomi pulls the 12-inch hammer from the thug’s hands and then called the police
Jeffrey Jones, defending, said his client had no previous convictions and argued he had shown remorse through his guilty plea.
He told the court Harley was young and ‘immature’ but handed up positive character references from his family and community and asked that any sentence is suspended.
But Harley was jailed for two years and two months and given a five-year restraining order.
The judge also ordered for the hammer to be destroyed.