‘Stupid’ robber with bad disguise snatches £500 from shop where he is a regular customer... then DROPS almost all of it before he gets out the door

Stupid: Lee Jones, from Swinton, Greater Manchester, was jailed for three years and nine months for trying to rob a shop he visits every day

An 'amateurish' robber who dropped an axe while he was trying to hold up a shop, lost £400 of the money he had stolen when he bent down to pick the weapon up.
Lee Jones was jailed for three years and nine months after the 'stupid' attempt to rob Miad News in Swinton, Greater Manchester, where he was a regular customer.
The 34-year-old walked into the store carrying the weapon with his face exposed, before putting on a balaclava and shouting 'money, money, gimme money'.
But the attempted heist quickly went awry when Jones's homemade mask slipped from his face and shopkeeper Majid Dipoti, 40, grabbed the blade and fought back.
Manchester Crown Court heard Mr Dipoti thought Jones' actions were a joke at first, but soon realised he was deadly serious when he began chopping at the counter and the lottery machine.
Then, on his way out of the shop, Jones dropped his axe and, as he stooped over to retrieve it, lost most of the £500 he managed to snatch from the till.
Jones, whose crime was described as 'stupid' by the judge, even greeted another customer who walked in on the raid before unsteadily backing out of the door with just £100.
The 34-year-old, of Chorley Road, Swinton, has now been jailed for three years and nine months after admitting robbery and possessing an axe.

Nichola Carroll, prosecuting, told the court Jones was a 'regular' at the shop. At 9am on July 23 he walked in and asked if he could take three newspapers on credit, but was refused.
He came back 90 minutes later and was 'immediately recognised' by Mr Dipoti, before he tried to cover his face with a home-made balaclava.

'Feeble disguise': Jones, who was a regular customer at Miad News in Swinton, Greater Manchester, walked in holding an axe with his face exposed before putting on a balaclava

Miss Carroll said: 'Mr Dipoti initially thinks it's some kind of joke. He knows the defendant, he doesn't understand why the defendant would be wielding an axe.
'It soon became clear it wasn't a joke. The defendant raises the axe above his head while making demands for cash, and brings it down onto the counter in front of Mr Dipoti's face.'
Mr Dipoti later told police: 'I thought he would kill me...I was frightened.'
Jones, who has a previous conviction for possessing an axe, tried to deny the offence, before finally pleading guilty.

Richard Littler, defending, described the attempted robbery as amateurish and Jones attempt at disguise as 'feeble'.
He added: 'He was heavily intoxicated and has very little recollection of what he actually did that day.'
Sentencing, Mr Recorder Herman said: 'Because of your lifelong attachment to alcohol and drugs you have wasted your life.
'This was a serious and terrifying incident which could have got out of hand.'

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