Brave Sunderland shop boss overpowered hammer-wielding raider who hit woman worker on chin

Dale Harvey was wearing a hood, face mask and had blue surgical gloves taped to his hands when he stormed into the Costcutter shop and post office in Silksworth, Sunderland, on December 1 last year.

One shop assistant was hit in the face as the 31-year-old swung around the hammer he was carrying and suffered a small cut to her chin during the terrifying confrontation.

Newcastle crown Court heard Harvey had gone into the shop at around 9.15am and ordered "open the tills".

Prosecutor Kevin Wardlaw told the court the woman behind the counter initially thought he was joking but added; "She saw him hold the hammer in a threatening manner.

"She heard him say 'give us your money' on a number of occasions."

The court heard as Harvey tried to open a clear perspex door to get behind the counter, the boss of the shop grabbed hold of him and managed to throw him to the floor.

During the struggle that followed, after security gas had been released into the shop, Harvey "swung the hammer around" and hit the woman worker on the chin and caught her ankle.

The worker said she went into shock when police arrived and broke down in tears.

She said in a victim statement: "I come to work to get money to feed my family. I don't expect to be harmed in this way and terrorised."

The shop boss and his wife said they were worried about the safety of the staff.

Harvery, of General Graham Street, Sunderland, who has never been in trouble before, admitted attempted robbery and having an offensive weapon.

He told police he had "fallen on desperate times financially and was desperate" and said he wanted to apologise for the "upset" he had caused to the staff.

Mr Recorder Mark Guiliani said the shop boss showed "exceptional fortitude" as he sentenced Harvey to two years behind bars.

The judge told him: "Despite being overpowered and pushed down to the floor you continued to wave the hammer around.

"You had the opportunity, when being restrained, to put that weapon down."

The judge added: "Robbery in the circumstances of a small store that services the neighbourhood is so serious only a custodial sentence will do."

Penny Hall, defending, said Harvey, who has mental health problems, was "quite quickly overpowered" and added: "He didn't intend to assault anyone."

Miss Hall said Harvey "can't quite believe what he did" and has been a hard working, law abiding person in the past.