A Valium addict tried to rob a Post Office – while wearing a Sainsbury’s plastic bag over his head.
Jed James, 29, demanded cash and cigarettes from the woman behind the till at the Cowley branch at around 11am on August 23, telling her: “Do you want me to show you; I’ve got a needle and a knife and you know what I’m going to do if you don’t give me cash and cigarettes.”
The woman told James, who had cut a slit in his Sainsbury's bag disguise so he could see where he was going, that he was being ‘stupid’. She pointed out that there were ‘cameras everywhere’.
Prosecutor Cathy Olliver told Oxford Crown Court on Monday: “He said ‘got cameras?’ and ran out of the Post Office without achieving his aim of [stealing] cash and cigarettes.”
An eagle-eyed police officer, who had viewed the CCTV from the Post Office, spotted James walking along Donnington Bridge at around 5pm – six hours after the bungled robbery bid.
He followed the would-be thief to the Co-operative in Iffley Road, where the officer caught James trying to pocket chicken breasts.
It emerged that, earlier that day, the defendant had made three trips into the Co-op in Littlemore trying to steal food.
The first saw him caught by staff while he was attempting to shoplift meat. He was stopped and, in the ensuing struggle, the manager fell to the floor.
On the second occasion, savvy staff tried to stop him ‘from the off’, Ms Olliver said. James threatened to punch them in the head and stab them with a needle.
Despite their concern about approaching him, the manager was said to have attempted to stop him from leaving the store. In reply, James warned: “Don’t touch me.” A staff member was punched ‘three to four times’, the court heard.
The defendant returned to the same Co-op for a third time, but was confronted by staff members and left.
Appearing before the crown court on Monday, James, of Plough Close, Wolvercote, pleaded guilty to attempted theft and two counts of attempted robbery.
Gareth James, mitigating, said his client had effectively no memory of the events, but accepted it was him on the CCTV. He had taken Valium and drunk alcohol before the incidents, as he was addicted to both substances.
It was made clear that James did not have a needle or knife on him when he committed the offences, despite his claims to the shop assistants.
His advocate described the crimes as an ‘uncharacteristic spree of offending while under the influence of drugs and alcohol, which he realises he cannot repeat and needs to address’.
Judge Ian Pringle KC jailed James for two-and-a-half years.
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This story was written by Tom Seaward. He joined the team in 2021 as Oxfordshire's court and crime reporter.
To get in touch with him email: Tom.Seaward@newsquest.co.uk
Follow him on Twitter: @t_seaward
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