TWO masked armed robbers who tried to hold-up a second-hand clothes shop at knifepoint were locked up for more than five years.
Liam Stimpson, 20, and Kaine Williams, 22, carried out a ham-fisted stick-up at the Audosta store in the Pill area of Newport.
The pair threatened to stab a shop worker in the terrifying raid, but fled when their Lithuanian victim struggled to understand them.
Paul Hewitt, prosecuting, told Cardiff Crown Court: “The complainant was in the back of the store on Broad Street sorting out clothes when the two men came in.
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A CCTV still of Kaine Williams, in the background, and Liam Stimpson, wearing red gloves
“They both had hoods on with masks covering their faces. The shorter one, Liam Stimpson, was brandishing a knife, a large knife.
“They made demands but the woman couldn’t understand them but got the gist of what they were saying.
“Stimpson had told her, ‘Empty the tills or I will chef you.’ This is a colloquialism for to stab.
Liam Stimpson
“She shouted out, ‘We’ve got no money.’ She was very frightened, shaken and upset.
“They ran off and escaped after other staff chased them.”
Mr Hewitt said Gwent Police ran a media appeal by releasing CCTV stills of the two bumbling robbers.
As a result, Williams walked into Newport Central police station and made a full confession.
Kaine Williams
Stimpson, of Uphill Road, Llanrumney, Cardiff, and Williams, of Stow Hill, Newport, pleaded guilty to attempted robbery on November 8, 2019.
The court heard that Stimpson committed the offence whilst he was subject to a community order for criminal damage and failing to surrender to bail.
Christopher Evans, representing Stimpson, said: “His greatest mitigation is his guilty plea.
“The offence is nearly a year old and he has had time to dwell on the situation.
“It was a horrible incident for the complainant, but it was short-lived.”
Ben Waters, for Williams, said his client had no previous convictions.
Judge Richard Williams said: “This was a planned robbery but it was not a sophisticated, well thought out or executed one.
“It was a total failure and you left empty-handed.”
Stimpson was sent to a young offender institution for three years and four months and Williams was jailed for two years.
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