Former soldier who stole £5k and cigs from Lincoln village store jailed

A former soldier who robbed his own village store of £5,000 in cash and cigarettes after showing the cashier he had a knife handle tucked in his trousers was today (Wednesday) jailed for three years and one month.

Scott Knight, 34, entered the village store in Skellingthorpe, near Lincoln, after putting on sand coloured camouflage clothing and a back pack.

Lincoln Crown Court heard Knight told the cashier: “Lock the door and don’t give me any trouble ”

He then lifted his shirt to show the store worker a knife handle in his trousers which the cashier wrongly mistook as a gun.

The court heard Knight was concerned that there was CCTV in the store, and told the cashier not to tell the police.

After Knight left the store, the cashier rang his manager and was advised to press the “help” button.

The local pharmacy identified Knight as a regular customer and he was seen at a local bus stop an hour after the robbery.

Police attended Knight’s home in Skellingthorpe where he lived with his grandmother but he was out.

Knight’s back pack with some of the distinctive sand coloured clothing was found in the property along with cigarettes on a bedside table.

His camouflage trousers were also found in washing machine.

While police were at the house Knight rang the landline and agreed to meet them.

Knight denied being the person shown on the stores CCTV in interview.

The court heard Knight had no convictions since 2005.

Anna Soubry, mitigating, said: “This is a serious incident. It is really just a question of length.

“There was an element of planning, but it was about the most unsophisticated robbery you can imagine.

“He chose to rob his regular shop in Skellingthorpe. It is a small village where everyone knows everyone.

“He was a regular customer at the village pharmacy, and was a customer at the shop which is why the shop assistant was able to say he thought he recognised him.

“He then rang his grandmother’s house and arranged to meet the police.”

Miss Soubry added the weapon was not produced and brandished.

“The shop assistant got the wrong weapon, he thought it was a gun.

“There was no direct threat of violence.”

The court heard Knight served in the Army but had to be discharged after injuring his back in Cyprus, and had been acting as a carer for his 91-year-old grandmother.

Knight, of Jerusalem Road, Skellingthorpe, pleaded guilty to robbery and possession of a bladed article on April 22, 2022.

He also admitted a charge of failing to surrender to custody to which an extra five days imprisonment was added to his sentence.

Passing sentence Recorder David Allan said there was an element of naivety to the robbery, but he told Knight he had also made efforts to stop the cashier reporting the matter and to find the CCTV.

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