Armed robber Nicholas Samworth has started a six-year jail sentence for a post office raid carried out to fund his heroin addiction.

Oxford Crown Court heard Samworth raided the post office with a hammer which the shopkeeper had believed to be a handgun.

He was found guilty of robbery by a jury at Oxford Crown Court last year. He admitted possession of heroin and was sentenced to three months, to run consecutively.

Stephen Mason is also behind bars for five years after supplying heroin to an undercover police officer.

Samworth, 26, of Verbina Way, Greater Leys, Oxford, knew Mason through their drugs connections. They were arrested after a nine-day police stake-out on a third man's house which was being used for drug dealing. Anna Hamilton-Shields, defending, said Samworth had only carried out the raid because he was desperate to pay off dealers to whom he owed £5,000. She added he had been assaulted while on remand in Bullingdon Prison.

Mason, 44, of Mayfield Road, Summertown, Oxford, pleaded guilty to six counts of supplying heroin and one of obtaining money by deception.

Paul Mitchell, defending Mason, said the father-of-three dealt in drugs to fund his own long-term addiction.

He added: "There is no evidence to suggest this is a man involved in large scale dealing.

"This was just a short-term enterprise to make some money for Christmas presents."

The owner of the house, Jason Martin, 33, of Hollow Way, Cowley, admitted allowing his premises to be used for drug dealing and was given a two-year suspended sentence.

Story date: Monday 20 March

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