Man who threatened staff at Nisa in Alnwick and stole £2,000 handed four-year prison sentence

Blayne Rourke entered the staff area of the Nisa convenience store in Alnwick at 9.15pm on February 6, 2023, shortly after it had closed, while staff were in the process of cashing up.

He threatened the shop’s staff, claiming that he had a knife, and ordered the assistant to “open the till or I will stab you.”

Despite not actually being armed, he was able to remove the cash register from the till area. He then left the shop with around £2,000 in bank notes.

Northumbria Police’s criminal investigation department’s Detective Constable Lisa Stanley, who was in charge of the investigation, said: “Rourke entered the shop premises and threatened the staff who were only trying to do their jobs, making them believe he was in possession of a knife.

“Thankfully, Rourke was not in possession of a knife, but his threats will still have felt extremely real.

“One of the members of staff was assaulted during the offence but was able to fight off the attack and flee the scene.

“This was an incredibly traumatic experience for her which has caused a great deal of distress and is something she should not have had to endure.”

However, Rourke was traced to a nearby address within 15 minutes, and police found him lying on a bed surrounded by cash after entering the property.

He was led away in handcuffs and charged 24 hours later.

After pleading guilty at Newcastle Crown Court on May 25, he was sentenced at the same court to four years in prison on Friday, July 14.

Rourke was also forced to pay compensation to the victims.

DC Stanley said: “Thanks to the bravery of [the victim] and her colleagues, and members of the public at the time, Rourke is beginning a custodial prison sentence.

“This is a fantastic outcome and most importantly spares the victims from reliving the experience at trial.

“I hope the outcome provides reassurance to the local community and, in particular, those who were involved.”